Bureau of Magical Development
by zoepeanut
Summary: In the land of Fiore, there are many versions of the legend of the Winter Spirit. Most are exaggerated, with only one being the truth. Here is the story of how he came to be, and how he finally found his home within the guild known as Fairy Tail.
1. Prologue-Birth of the Winter Spirit

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Rise of the Guardians or Fairy Tail

 **Just a heads-up, this does contain minor spoilers from the Tenrou Island Arc! I will inform you if other chapters end up with spoilers beyond that arc.**

Many variations exist on the tale of the Winter Spirit. He is sometimes believed to roam entire nations, spreading snow and winter where he goes. Others see him as nothing more than a myth, a story made up to entertain the minds of children. In the land of Fiore, his true story begins. The sad tale of a wizard, loved by his family but torn away and forced to forget about his past. His name was Jack Frost, named after the winter he was born in. It was even more fitting when he learned of his magic, his ability to create snowflakes and frost in the air.

Jack had been about five when his story began. His sister, Emma, was just a year younger than him. She showed no signs of being a wizard, but she loved seeing his power. "Jack, can we go skating again? Please, I know you can freeze the lake for me." she begged, ice skates in hand as she tried to drag her brother out of the house. Jack hesitated, still doubting his power. Yes, he could make things cold, but it took a lot of effort to freeze things this late in the season. Spring had started and it was well into the sixties, far warmer than it should be for things to freeze. Jack Frost might have the ability, but his magical strength simply was not great enough to grant her request.

"Sorry, I'd love to go have fun with you, but you know I can't. It'd melt, Em. I know, let's play tag instead!" Jack suggested, tagging her and running off laughing. She chased after him, carefree as ever, trying to catch her nimble older brother.

"You two be careful now!" their mother called out, seeing them laughing and playing in the yard. Jack giggled in response, waving her off as he focused on avoiding Emma. The girl was persistent, but he knew he was faster. Emma could try as hard as she wanted to, he would not let her catch him.

He turned his head back, getting a bit nervous when he saw how close she was. Maybe a bit of ice wouldn't hurt her. After all, it was only meant to slow her down and it was in the name of fun. With a grin, he decided on a slightly safer diversion. A snowball formed in his hand, one he threw directly at her face to try and blind her temporarily. "Jack, stop it! You know I don't like it when you play tricks like that!" Emma complained, wiping the snow out of her eyes.

"Oh yeah, why don't you try throwing one back at me?" Jack suggested, watching her pout at the impossibility of such a thing. Even though they were related, they still had their differences, magic being the greatest one of them.

Appearance wise, they were almost identical. Jack's brown hair and eyes matched her perfectly, making it impossible to doubt that they were related. Even some of their mannerisms were similar, one of which could be seen now. Both of them refused to wear shoes, preferring to feel the solid ground beneath their bare feet. Jack laughed once more, running off further away from his house, until it faded away from sight. Emma was never catching up to him and the girl soon realized this, stopping her chase while Jack continued on, oblivious to the fact that his sister had given up.

"Come on, Emma, you've gotta try harder than this!" Jack taunted, grinning as he turned around. He stopped when he saw no one there, frowning slightly into the forest around him. It was dark out, he hadn't even noticed that the sun had set. His parents would be mad if he didn't make it back home soon. They had supper planned early tonight and Jack was keeping them waiting.

"Emma, we're playing tag, not hide and seek. Come on out, I'll be it this time!" Jack tried, feeling a small amount of fear build within him. He was alone, with no one around him and nothing but darkness in sight. He tried to do something to make it brighter for him, but all he succeeded in doing was creating a layer of frost on the ground beneath his feet.

"Look what we have here. A bright young mage, lost and alone." a voice called out, making Jack whirl around to see a stranger in a white lab coat behind him. Others were standing near this man, one with a vicious glint in his eyes. He had dark black hair and golden yellow eyes that seemed to pierce into Jack's soul.

"Yes, that is what you brought me here for, isn't it? I am the best chance you have at capturing powerful mages for your experiments." the yellow eyed man stated, turning towards the other adults.

"Please…I just wanna go home." Jack begged, crying as he stared up at them.

One of the lab coat men kneeled down in front of him, looking him in the eye. "Of course, but we need you to do something for us first. I am with the Bureau of Magical Development, and we are looking for very special children like you. Can you tell me your name?" he asked, a sweet tone in his voice.

"J-Jack. Will you really help me? Promise me, you'll take me back home." Jack said, staring into the adult's eyes.

"Of course. My name is Senshin, and I have a very special place to show you Jack." he stated, reaching out for Jack's hand.

Hesitantly, Jack took it, following after these men. He didn't know if he should trust them, but he knew that he didn't recognize where he was. Jack was lost and without help from someone, he would be away from his family for the rest of his life. He didn't realize that this was a mistake, that these people would do terrible things to him that even he could hardly remember anymore. The Bureau of Magical Development used children like him, trying to gain inside knowledge into how to strengthen magical power and harness it for weapons. Jack Frost was not the only such child used in these experiments. Another well known child in these experiments went by the name of Ultear, however this is not her tale.

The pain of the experiments was excruciating for the young boy and it did not take him long to begin begging for it all to end. He wanted to go home, to leave this facility and see his sister once more, but his wish was never granted. Jack's family was in the dark, still searching for their lost son with no sign of what happened to him or where he went. As much as they wanted to find each other again, Jack Frost was forever lost to his family, alone in the world and trapped within his world of pain and torture.

Time continued to pass for the young boy, and as the years went on, the experiments began to work on the young boy. The pain made him stronger, increasing his magical capabilities. When tested, the boy was placed into an isolated room to play with his powers. Jack enjoyed these moments the most, feeling free and happy even with no one around. He could have fun here, with his magic, and pretend that nothing had happened. He could pretend that the pain did not linger in his bones, that he was slowly losing his very concept of self and his memories of his family. By the time Jack was fourteen, he gave up hope of ever seeing his family again. His only past was in this facility, his only life these experiments.

"Jack, can you please come with me again." Senshin asked, the scientist leading these experiments on Jack. Jack Frost himself was impressed with how much stronger he was, knowing he was capable of producing blizzards without a second thought now. It didn't matter what season it actually was, Jack could drop the temperature down into the freezing range and bring winter to any place he visited.

"Sure thing, another round of magical boosting?" Jack asked, his own term for the electrical shocks designed to increase his power.

"Yes, this will be the final round. You seem to be reaching your peak levels of power, and we are pleased to see limited side effects with this procedure. With any luck, it will be replicated and all wizards will be able to obtain this great power." Senshin stated, clearly entranced with the idea.

Jack knew exactly what these side effects were that he was speaking of. His hair had long ago lost its brown color, turning a pale white as the treatments continued on. His eyes became icy blue and even his skin lost its color, making him look lifeless and drained even though he felt stronger than ever. Jack knew that there was something wrong, that the appearance was a sign of something about to happen, but he ignored it and tried to look at the bright side of everything. After all, this was now almost over. He would be free from this pain any day now, he just had to get through one last round of experiments with these nut jobs.

He was strapped up to the machinery, still uncertain of what it truly did to his body. It was painful and left him feeling exhausted for days. Jack would sleep for almost the whole week after a treatment in this thing, only to wake up feeling even more connected to his magic. Cold made him feel at home now, anything even somewhat warm was uncomfortable. Too much heat would actually make Jack feel sick and force him to draw out his own magic, freezing the air around him to make himself more comfortable. That was why the researchers had adjusted his room's temperature as well as this room's temperature to be low, around forty degrees. Others were shivering in the room, but Jack felt more at home in the cold, more like he was in his naturally habitat.

No one could have guessed what would have happened during Jack's next treatment. Even the boy himself did not know. This was the day the Winter Spirit was born, on July 7, X777. As Jack was submitted to his final experiment, his magic power increased far beyond it was ever intended. He became one with the season, far more intertwined with it than anyone realized. For the researchers at the Bureau of Magical Development, the child had simply vanished, likely having been destroyed from overuse of the technology intended on providing him with power. Later on, they would make adjustments to the technology as a result, so that Ultear would not face the same fate. However, they were very wrong about what truly happened to the young wizard in that room. He had not died, not in the slightest. Jack Frost became cursed by his very own nature, becoming visible to others only during the harshest of winter storms. Even then, few people actually believed that a young boy like him lived within these blizzards. Still, rumors spread across Fiore, stories of the Winter Spirit that you could catch a glimpse of if you stared hard enough into the center of a winter storm. His tale may change as the years go on, but one thing will always remain. The Winter Spirit will always be alone, isolated by the very nature of his magic. At least, that is what Jack Frost believed at the time. It wasn't until many years had passed than anything changed that thought for him, when he learned that he still could have friends and find a family in this world that had caused him nothing but pain.

 **So, I've been wanting to write a story about Fairy Tail for a while now. I love the anime and I also love Rise of the Guardians, thus this story was born. I feel as if we need more crossovers in this section, it has so much potential and I'd love to see more.**

 **As far as this idea goes, I really liked the idea of Jack being a mage. After seeing Ultear's backstory, I decided that the Bureau of Magical Development was ignored far too much for most of Fairy Tail and it is now the focus of this story. Let me know what you think of the idea, I always love hearing your thoughts! The more reviews I get, the more inspired I am to keep writing and positing more chapters! (Seriously, this is the fourth story I have in progress right now, the stories with more reviews tend to get more focus from me right now).**


	2. Eternal Winter

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail or Rise of the Guardians

It was a typical day at Fairy Tail, one of the most well-known guilds within the Kingdom of Fiore. Guild members were being rowdy, laughing as they sat at tables within the guild hall. Cana was drinking as usual, a barrel of booze in her lap as she laughed at the men around her that failed to out drink her. Elfman was near her, insisting that she was the only real man in this guild because she was the only one capable of holding down their liquor. Wakaba and Macao were talking together, arguing over who was stronger in the guild. Overall, it was a typical sight to behold as Lucy walked into the guild, smiling brightly as she walked over to her partner, Natsu.

"Hey, did you find a job for us yet?" she asked, knowing that they needed something to work on soon. Her rent was due soon and she was no where near ready to pay for it yet. They needed a high paying job quick, or Lucy was going to be kicked out of her apartment. "Oh man, look at the reward on this one! Three million jewel…though it does sound rather strange." Lucy commented, taking the paper off of the board.

"Huh, end some eternal winter storm? No problem, I'll burn that snow to ash!" Natsu claimed, clearly not understanding what happens when snow gets hot.

"It doesn't sound like it'll be that easy. This storm has been going on for five years! Why have they only asked for help now?" Lucy wondered, glancing over at Natsu who shrugged.

"Who cares, this is easy money for us! You get your rent money and I'll get money for food. Right, Happy?" Natsu asked, turning to the cat always present by his side.

"Aye, sir!" Happy cheered, as eager as ever to go off on a mission with his partner.

"Hey, you looking at the request put in from Garnelia City?" Gray asked, walking over to them by the request board.

"Uh, yeah. Do you know something about it, Gray?" Lucy asked, watching the ice mage cross his hands over his chest. Lucy could have sworn he had a shirt on when he came over here, but now it was clearly gone. She had grown used to it now, though, so she didn't even bother trying to get him to keep clothes on anymore.

"No, but it's strange. Normally, I'd say Natsu could handle it no problem, but this seems suspicious. It's almost too easy, if a simple fire could end it, the town would have ended the storm already." Gray explained, clearly thinking hard about their situation.

"Gray is correct, flames appear to have no effect on the ice created by this storm." a new voice stated, joining them. Erza Scarlet stepped towards the small group gathering, apparently having just returned from her own mission just moments ago. "I passed through Garnelia on my way back to the guild. This storm is unnatural and when I heard of this job, I wished to be the one to take it. Perhaps it is time for us to reform our team? It would be fun doing a job again together." Erza stated, smiling slightly at the idea. Lucy was hesitant, thinking of how much money she would be losing by allowing Erza to join. Yes, she would still have enough to cover her rent, but Lucy knew it wouldn't last long. There was always something else she had to buy, and she did not take enough jobs to cover all of her expenses lately.

"Alright, sounds like a plan!" Natsu said, excited as ever to get going on a mission.

"Wait for me! I want to help too." a voice called out, dragging their attention to one of the newer members of the guild. Wendy was rushing towards them, her hair up in pigtails as she smiled over at them. "I know I can't fight that well, but I want to get stronger. Please, let me aid you on this job!" Wendy begged, making Lucy smile slightly. Wendy was already like a little sister to everyone here, cute and innocent compared to some people in the guild. The young dragon slayer was always so nervous, yet Lucy saw no reason to worry.

"We do not know what danger we may face. You may join us if you wish, but know that we may find ourselves locked in battle once we discover the source of this storm." Erza warned, while Wendy only seemed to grow more determined.

"Thank you, I will not let you down!" Wendy stated, eager to follow after her friends.

"Natsu, I'm surprised to see you so excited to go on a train ride to Garnelia." Wendy commented, watching Natsu's eager expression vanish in an instant.

"We aren't taking any train! You can't make me" Natsu argued, while Wendy sighed, realizing the older dragon slayer simply didn't realize that the train was necessary to get to their destination.

"Natsu, it's a five hour trip, it would take days to get there on foot. We are taking the train!" Lucy argued, clearly not in the mood to walk the entire way to Garnelia. The fire mage groaned, realizing he was outvoted here as they ended up riding the train towards their mission.

On the ride there, Natsu was clearly sick, his head in Lucy's lap as he once again suffered from his motion sickness. "Can't you use your troia spell on him, Wendy?" Lucy asked, feeling bad that Natsu had to suffer.

"Too many uses will leave him immune to its effects. We should probably wait until it is absolutely necessary to cast it on him." Wendy stated, looking a bit guilty as she did so. Everyone felt sorry, seeing Natsu in this kind of state.

"Just…use the spell!" Natsu said, grimacing as he grew too sick to talk once more. Lucy stroked his hair, trying to calm him somehow even though it had little effect on the dragon slayer.

"Stop being so weak, this is pathetic even for you." Gray commented, clearly not feeling pity like some of Natsu's other comrades.

"Shut up…Gray! I'll….get you for…that." Natsu managed to groan out, waving a fist weakly in the air to try and demonstrate his point.

"Enough you two, we must focus on our mission. From what I have gathered, this storm appears to have a strange magical energy surrounding it." Erza stated, immediately making Gray get serious and stop teasing Natsu. The dragon slayer was left alone in his misery, unable to focus on the conversation around him.

"Magical energy? Does that mean that someone is actually creating this storm?" Lucy asked, confused. She did not understand why anyone would want to do such a thing. So much snow was dangerous, leaving people cold and unable to grow food to support themselves. They could die without help, something that Lucy would not allow to happen.

"Indeed, it appears so. We may be facing a powerful enemy in this town." Erza stated calmly, always prepared for battle.

"It's a good thing you're good with the cold, Gray. Looks like you'll need to be to survive in this town." Happy commented, glancing over at their companion with a smile.

"Yeah, well I'm not too happy about this right now. Creating a storm this large means that this enemy has a massive amount of magic energy. I wouldn't stand a chance against someone this powerful." Gray admitted, looking a bit concerned about what they were about to face.

"Maybe I should have stayed behind…I'll only get in your way against a strong mage like this." Wendy said nervously, looking a bit intimidated by the potential battle they would face.

"Nonsense, you can be strong and face enemies too. I will be by your side to protect you, Wendy." Carla stated, confident in her own abilities to keep the youngest dragon slayer safe.

"Carla is right, we will need your enchantments to help us face an enemy this strong." Erza added, smiling down at the young girl. Lucy was getting even more nervous each second this conversation continued, wondering if she was too weak to fight as well. Sure, her spirits were strong, but she still felt weak compared to Natsu, Erza, and Gray. Maybe this job was too much for her to handle, she thought as she glanced down at Natsu in her lap. Then again, she did have her friends by her side. Maybe it would be possible, as long as they fought together.

"So, what is this Garnelia town like anyway?" Wendy asked, curious about the city they were going to.

"I used to love going there as a child with my mother. They had the most beautiful flowers and I would always want to come and see them when they bloomed. I guess that with the storm, those flowers will be all gone now." Lucy said wistfully, remembering her childhood with her mother. The streets in Garnelia City had been lined with so many flowers of all different colors. While Lucy never knew what types they were, she had loved the smell and the sight of so much life everywhere.

"It sounds lovely. I wish I could have seen it with you." Wendy said, looking amazed with Lucy's description. Lucy smiled and nodded, still thinking about the future.

"Well, maybe we still can. Once we finish this mission, I'm sure the flowers will bloom again." Lucy told her, while the others nodded in agreement.

"Of course. I have also heard that they make a lovely cherry pie, something I would wish to try when the fruit is in season." Erza told them, reminding Lucy of Erza's sweet tooth. That girl would eat anything with sugar and Lucy knew better than to get in her way.

"Do whatever you want after we finish this job, we need to focus on this storm right now." Gray told them, glaring out the window. Lucy stared out with him, noticing what looked like a solid line of white in the direction they were traveling. The snow didn't start gradually, it was sudden and in only the one town. Clearly, Erza had been right about how unnatural this was. As they entered the storm, Lucy began to wonder just who could cause such a storm. Together with her friends, they would stop them and put an end to this eternal winter.

 **Thank you to everyone who followed/favorited/reviewed! I appreciate your feedback, it helps keep me inspired to write. I am still unsure as to when this takes place in the Fairy Tail timeline, beyond being before the S-Class wizard trials. Regardless, I hope you enjoy anyway and keep reading!**

 **As for the pairings in the story, I don't think they'll play a major role. I'm not very good at writing romance, but I am a huge Nalu fan so I couldn't write a Fairy Tail story and not include it in some form. Mostly, there will be hints at both pairings, maybe a little bit more towards the end of the story, but I don't have anything too major planned with them.**

 **Anyway, I hope everyone ended up in character so far. That is one of my main concerns when writing in a new category, so if you notice anything off, feel free to correct me and give me advice. Please review with any comments, questions, or concerns for the story!**


	3. Garnelia City

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Rise of the Guardians or Fairy Tail

Lucy was expecting snow when they arrived, but she wasn't expecting anything like this. The blizzard was out of control, piles of snow building up almost to her height on the sidewalks. Only the streets were clear, but she could see snow steadily building up despite the fact that they had just been cleared. Ice made the path slippery as they walked, Lucy shivering in the cold while the others seemed indifferent to the weather. Gray was the most shocking of them all, stripping without even caring about the weather, still unaware of his own actions. "Gray, your clothes!" Lucy yelled at him, watching him stop and realize they were missing. She could not understand how he could miss that with weather like this, but she supposed anything was possible with the ice-make wizard.

As Gray began to search for his clothes, Lucy stared at the snow with a sad look on her face. As beautiful as the snow could be, Lucy knew that this was not the way the town was meant to be. Trees were looking close to death, unable to survive this weather for years. Not a single blade of grass was visible on the ground and with all the snow still falling around them, Lucy could hardy see one foot in front of her. Her breath made small clouds in the air as she rubber her arms, trying to stay warm. Maybe she should have dressed a bit warmer, but she had liked how cute her outfit had been earlier. Her typical blue skirt and Heart Creuz shirt were on, looking nice but not very warm for this weather.

Lucy considered summoning Horologium for warmth, but decided against it. They were almost to the house of the town's mayor, the one that had submitted the job request in the first place. She could bear with the weather until then. Natsu was already trying his original plan behind her, his fire magic lighting up the street and scaring a few of the citizens that were walking by. His flames were definitely hot, Lucy could feel the heat coming from him, but as predicted the snow did not melt too quickly. Sure, some of it was melted, but it quickly froze into ice with snow piling up once more from the storm around them. "Come on, why won't this snow burn away!" Natsu complained, looking irritated with his own failure.

"Natsu, we told you that wouldn't work. We have to find the person responsible for the storm, then we can melt the snow." Lucy told him, watching the fire wizard grumble about how much work this job was going to require.

"Quit your complaining, fire breath, we're all out here in the cold too." Gray told Natsu, shirtless once more. This time, Lucy didn't even bother trying to get him to keep his clothes on. Sometimes, it was futile to keep the ice-wizard dressed. At least Gray kept his pants on this time, though Lucy knew even those wouldn't last too much longer.

"I can feel magic energy in the air. A wizard really is making this storm." Wendy commented quietly, trying to avoid the argument that she saw happening. Her words worked to distract Natsu, who frowned and stared up into the sky for a moment.

"Wendy is correct. I'm surprised I didn't sense it when I passed through the other day. I am ashamed of my inability to see how grave this danger was, please forgive me for my mistake!" Erza begged, bowing before them and making the other wizards sweatdrop. She was really being overdramatic again, for such a small mistake.

"It's alright, let's go inside and talk to the mayor. Maybe he has an idea of what is causing this storm." Lucy stated, watching Erza nod and stand back up.

"Thank you, Lucy. You are far too kind, I am glad to have a close friend like you." Erza stated, hugging the blond wizard who struggled against Erza's iron grip. Lucy was used to having weird friends, but she still wasn't sure of how to act around Erza. The female wizard was incredibly powerful, but Lucy could sometimes see a softer side to Erza as well that she admired. After Lucy was released, the group knocked on the door of the mayor's house, waiting for a response before walking in.

"Ah, you must be the wizards from Fairy Tail." the man told them as he opened the door. He was rather tall, with black hair and inviting brown eyes. Some wrinkles were visible on his face, as well as signs of stress from the storm. His outfit even showed how prepared he was for the weather, a warm sweater on underneath a coat and a scarf wrapped around his neck.

"Yes, I am Erza Scarlet and these are my companions, Lucy, Natsu, Gray, and Wendy." Erza announced proudly, stepping in front of her friends and taking the lead of the conversation.

"Hey, don't forget about us!" Happy complained, feeling left out without an introduction.

"Honestly, it's not that big of a deal." Carla commented, clearly not as annoyed as Happy was about the situation.

"Don't worry, buddy, I'd never forget about you!" Natsu said cheerfully, successfully cheering up his partner. Happy smiled and flew onto Natsu's shoulder, hanging on to the boy's back as they walked inside. Lucy was used to those two being inseparable and she smiled as she watched them, following after her friends.

"I am Raymond Fuzaki, the Mayor of Garnelia City. You have no idea how relieved I am to see you wizards here to help us." he announced, inviting them all into his living room to sit down and discuss the problem.

"Don't worry about it, we're here to help!" Lucy said, smiling at the man. She didn't want him to feel too stressed about the storm, even though Lucy still had no idea how they were going to end it.

"This storm has ravaged our city for over five years. It has wilted our flowers and destroyed our thriving tourist industry. At first, we enjoyed the snow. Children loved playing in it, having snowball fights and making snow angels. We would even make ice carvings, knowing that the weather would not melt them away as quickly as it would elsewhere. However, our moods quickly changed when we realized that the storm was not fading away. When spring arrived and the snow continued falling, we realized that this storm was a curse. Our streets are aways filled with snow, blocking the path for travelers, and we are forced to stay inside for warmth. The weather kills our crops and is far too cold for any livestock to survive. I'm afraid if this weather does not end soon, we will no longer be able to survive in this town and Garnelia City will cease to exist." Raymond explained, looking concerned as he stared down out the window.

"That's horrible. You must be suffering so much." Wendy stated, looking shocked and sympathetic towards these people. Lucy felt the same way, knowing it had been bad but not realizing quite how harmful this storm could truly be.

"Sounds like you guys got lazy. You should have called for help sooner." Gray commented, looking rather indifferent to their suffering.

"Gray, how could you say that? These people need our help, it doesn't matter how late they asked for it." Lucy argued, frustrated with how cold Gray was acting.

"Everyone suffers, if they can't handle a little bit of snow, it shouldn't be our problem. From what I can see, the solution is simple. You guys should just leave town, its not like this storm is moving at all." Gray commented, trying to find the simplest solution.

"Please, I know it seems strange, but we love this town. It is our home, we all work so hard to keep each other happy. I know we waited far too long to ask for help, but we wanted to save ourselves first. We tried seeking out wizards amongst ourselves, battling against the snow with fire mages and then with ice mages. When both failed, we turned to trying to manage the snow, pushing it out of the way so we could still function. Now, even that method is unable to keep up with this storm. We have no choice but to rely on guild wizards to end this curse." Raymond pleaded, his eyes filled with sadness over the stated of the city.

Gray stared at him for a few moments, before sighing and nodding. "I never said we wouldn't help, I just think this is a bit strange for a normal storm." he stated, glancing over at his companions for a moment.

"In your attempts to stop this storm yourselves, did anyone find the source of the snow?" Erza asked, continuing in the questioning of the mayor. Raymond looked a bit relieved now that Gray had promised to help, but he still frowned as he glanced out the window.

"None of us found it. It was so strange, it started rather suddenly one day in December. It was winter, so we thought little of the sudden blizzard. They aren't incredibly uncommon, though it was rare to get that much snowfall in this area." Raymond explained, while Lucy kept going.

"Did anything strange happen right before the storm started? Any new strangers in town, suspicious people that might have a grudge against someone here?" she asked, thinking about the magical energy this storm had. Maybe the wizard had shown themselves in town before casting this curse. It would help them find the wizard involved, even if it took some time.

"No, not really. Just the usual tourists…wait, there was one person. He came into town, staying away from almost everyone. Unlike most of our tourists, he did not seem to care for the flowers. Even stranger yet, when snow began to fall, the man went crazy and began talking to himself. Some people even reported an argument going on with himself, though it ended rather abruptly and he stormed off with a smile on his face. It was probably only a week later that the real blizzard began." Raymond explained, thinking about the newcomer in the town. Lucy didn't like the sounds of this. A crazy guy with magic this powerful? Natsu was destructive enough, she didn't need to see an ice mage with that kind of destructive power and no sense of morality to control it.

"Hmm…interesting. Do you know what this man looked like?" Erza asked, clearly interested in the stranger.

"Yeah, we can find him and beat him up for cursing this town!" Natsu said, looking excited for a fight.

"Natsu, not everything is resolved with a fight. We must make a plan first. For all we know, this man could be completely unrelated to the storm." Carla told him, stifling his excitement.

"He wore a dark black cape and he stood out with his strange golden eyes. They were the only thing bright about him, to be honest. Most of us were too intimidated to approach the stranger, even the tourists seemed to be afraid of him." Raymond explained, his hands clasped together in his lap.

"Appearances can be deceiving. Maybe he was just confused, trying to work out a personal problem?" Wendy suggested, trying to see the best in this man. Lucy knew the young girl was too kind, trying to see the best in everyone. It was what they loved about her, but in times like this it made Wendy too trusting.

"No way, this guy is an enemy. Natsu will take him down, I know he will!" Happy argued, confident in Natsu's ability and almost as eager as the dragon slayer was for a fight.

"Calm down, Happy. Wendy could be right, though it doesn't hurt to be too cautious. Is there anything else that could help us in investigating the cause of this storm? The sooner we find the source, the sooner we can end this weather." Erza asked, looking up towards the mayor. Raymond hesitated for a moment, clearly uncomfortable with what he had to tell them.

"There is one…other thing. Have you ever heard of the legend of the Winter Spirit?" Raymond asked, watching Gray and Natsu frown in confusion.

"The what? Are you crazy, believing in some fairy tale like that?" Gray asked, only vaguely familiar with the story.

"What is it? Come on, I want to know what this spirit thing is!" Natsu complained, clueless about what it was.

"I heard this story as a kid. The Winter Spirit is supposedly a being that brings winter to cities all over Fiore. Sometimes, if you look hard enough, you can see the winter spirit standing alone in the center of a winter storm." Lucy explained. Her mother had told her that story, knowing Lucy had a strong attachment to celestial spirits. Even if the Winter Spirit wasn't real, she had loved the idea of another spirit in existence, one that was free to do as he wished instead of a slave to celestial wizards that might abuse him.

"You are correct, and most see him as nothing more than a myth. However, many citizens of Garnelia claim to have seen him in the woods. Most often, these tales come from children insisting that they actually played games with the Winter Spirit. I never thought much of it, treating it as simply overactive imaginations." Raymond stated, while Gray nodded in agreement along with Erza.

"That would make sense. Kids make up stories to entertain themselves all the time, it doesn't mean anything." Gray commented, while Erza frowned.

"I am inclined to agree with Gray. Just what does this children's tale have to do with this job?" Erza asked, while the man grew a bit concerned.

"Nothing, at least I never thought it did. I really only just realized it now. The children stopped bringing stories of the Winter Spirit to us after this storm started. Strange, you would think the opposite would occur for such imaginative children." Raymond suggested, bewildering them all. Lucy wondered what had changed the minds of the children, who seemed to love this story as much as she had when she was young. Weather like this was great for anyone who believed in the spirit, bringing them wonder and awe with the weather instead of just a chill.

"Natsu…do you think the spirit is real?" Happy asked, looking a bit afraid of the idea. Lucy laughed at the cat, unable to believe in the story.

"No way! I know all about spirits, trust me, there is no such thing as a Winter Spirit. He is just a myth, like Raymond said." Lucy told Happy, who still seemed concerned.

"Lucy, I think Happy might be right. He is an evil spirit, out for revenge against those of us who refuse to believe!" Natsu declared, a vicious grin on his face as he leaned towards the celestial mage. Lucy backed away, not sure of what point Natsu was trying to make.

"Nonsense, you two are being ridiculous." Carla insisted, ignoring the fire wizard and his partner.

"Well, I think it would be kind of nice. Knowing that a spirit is out there, watching over us during the winter, it makes me feel happy." Wendy stated, looking excited about the idea.

"Look, whatever you choose to believe, just find a way to end this winter." Raymond stated, looking a bit more comfortable now that the wizards had not called him insane for his comment. Well, Gray had, but he wasn't entirely serious about his comment from earlier.

"We will. We promise, as Fair Tail wizards, that we will end the suffering of your city." Erza told him, standing up and moving to leave. Her companions followed suit, still wondering where to start searching for answers. This mysterious job request seemed to be far more complicated than Lucy ever realized. As she walked out, Lucy began to question who was truly right. Did the Winter Spirit truly exist, or was he just a myth? Glancing at the storm outside, it was hard to believe anyone else was capable of creating it. Her mind continued racing about it as she fell asleep at the inn that night, her dreams filled with images of snowflakes and an elusive spirit laughing and playing in the snow.

 **So, I'm starting another job next week. That means I might not have as much time to write, so updates may be a bit more spread out than they have been. I'll still be working towards this idea, though, because I absolutely love both ROTG and Fairy Tail.**

 **Thank you to all who reviewed, I'm glad you like the idea so far. Also, I've got a new cover image (my first story with one, to be honest). I drew it myself, hope it doesn't look too awful (I am not an artist by any means, but I wanted to try it out for this story). If you guys don't like it, I can always take it down at just leave it as my profile pic.**

 **Feel free to review and give me your thoughts, I love hearing feedback of any kind from you guys!**


	4. The Boy in the Snow

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Rise of the Guardians or Fairy Tail

Lucy wok up, feeling refreshed and having faint memories of dreams about childhood stories. She was smiling as she sat up, stretching and knowing she had to get ready to start investigating the strange weather. As she did so, her gaze turned inside her room, going wide when she saw a familiar pink haired dragon slayer inside. "What are you doing in my room?" she demanded, shrieking and throwing her pillow at Natsu in anger. Even on missions, Natsu was barging in without permission! Lucy couldn't believe her partner, who just shoved the pillow aside and grinned at her, Happy by his side.

"Morning, Lucy! Happy and I decided we'd be investigating with you today." Natsu explained cheerfully, not fazed in the slightest by her anger.

"So? That doesn't mean you have to barge in here!" Lucy told him, still angry as she got up in her t-shirt and shorts that she slept in. It could have been worse, she could have been in the shower when he came in. She shuddered at the thought, before focusing back on their conversation.

"Well, you weren't awake yet and Happy said we could come in and make you breakfast." Natsu said, while Happy grinned and presented her with a fish.

"We made you a fish, Lucy!" Happy said, smiling up at his partner who glared down at him.

"I don't want your fish, you stupid cat!" Lucy yelled at him, making the cat back away, huddling over behind Natsu in fear.

"Natsu, Lucy's being scary again!" Happy cried, while Natsu frowned at his partner.

"Come on, Lucy, cheer up! We get to start our mission today. It'll be just the two of us, like old times, right?" Natsu asked, while Lucy calmed down slightly, blinking in surprise. It would be kind of nostalgic, like their first mission at the guild. Just the three of them, investigating this storm. She knew they were working with others, but for now, it was best to split up and cover more ground. With so little knowledge of the source of this storm, it was the best way to ensure finding some kind of answer.

"Right, look, just knock before you enter next time, okay?" Lucy said, watching Happy nod and step out from behind Natsu. "Aye! Let's get going, Lucy!" Happy said cheerfully, while Lucy nodded.

"Let me get ready real quick." Lucy told them, standing there for a moment before she realized they weren't leaving her room.

"What's wrong? Go on and get ready, we'll wait for you." Natsu said, clearly not understanding what Lucy wanted to do.

"I'm not changing in front of you, idiot! Get out of my room, I'll meet you in town!" she insisted, almost yelling at him again. Natsu and Happy could see the anger returning and knew to get out while they could.

"Alright, see you soon, Lucy!" Natsu said, grinning at her as he waved and walked out, Happy flying by his side. Lucy watched them leave, sighing before starting to get ready for her job. It was going to be a long day, dealing with Natsu and Happy, but she found herself looking forward to it. She would be with her friends and as strange as they were, Lucy felt more comfortable with Natsu than any of the others. She knew he would keep her safe, no matter what they faced.

Lucy wandered outside after she was dressed, smiling as she walked down the street. This time, she had dressed a little warmer, with a white coat on over her usual outfit. It was still cold, but at least she had something covering most of her skin this time. "Lucy, there you are! You were taking forever to get ready." Natsu complained, rushing over to her with Happy by his side.

"You're the one who interrupted me! Who just barges into people's rooms unannounced?" Lucy demanded, frustrated with the fire wizard who shrugged and grabbed her arm.

"We're partners." he replied, as if that explained everything. He dragged her into town, grinning as he walked down the streets.

"So, where are we looking first?" Lucy asked, watching Natsu grin and point over towards the outer edge of town. There was a dense group of trees in that direction, and from what Lucy could see, they were also covered with snow from this storm.

"Erza, Gray, and Wendy are searching in the town. We need to figure out how far out it spreads." Natsu explained, knowing what jobs Erza had given out. The requip wizard was taking charge here, dividing them up into teams and assigning them jobs. While she had not communicated with Lucy, she had relayed her message through her partner, Natsu, for the mission.

"Well, it didn't seem to go too far towards the East. The ride in was pretty calm as far as weather goes." Lucy commented, remembering that the snow hadn't started practically until they were inside the town. To the West was a massive forest that went on for miles, before a trail appeared that could take you to the next town. Natsu seemed to want to investigate in that direction first and since Lucy didn't have any better ideas, she followed him.

"Natsu thinks the ghost lives in the forest. He wants to fight it." Happy commented as they continued walking, while Natsu grinned over at them.

"Of course, I wanna show it how strong I am! No winter spirit could possibly be stronger than me!" Natsu declared, while Lucy rolled her eyes at him. This was a familiar side of Natsu, one that was always eager to prove his strength to others. He was fiercely loyal and protective, but Lucy knew that he loved fighting even without a reason to do so.

"Of course you could. If we do meet anyone, try being nice, Natsu. We don't want to get in trouble with this town like we do on every mission." Lucy insisted, knowing how destructive Natsu could be in a fight.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Natsu said, clearly unaware of the destruction he caused. Lucy sighed, shaking her head and ignoring him.

"Never mind, let's just get this over with. The storm almost feels stronger out here than it did in town." she commented, shivering as they moved forward through the forest.

Natsu held his arm out in front of her suddenly, stopping her in her tracks. "Something doesn't smell right. Someone is here." Natsu claimed, sniffing the air, his head turning suddenly.

"Lucy, let's go! This could be the wizard we're after." Natsu claimed, running forward. Lucy hesitated for a moment before running after him. Even if he was wrong, anyone outside in this weather needed help. Lucy needed to help her partner fight if it was their enemy, or she could protect the person trapped by this harsh weather. They hadn't even gotten to a point where someone was visible when Natsu's flames began to become visible.

"Natsu, what are you doing? We don't even know—" Lucy began, trying to stop her partner, but it was a little late for that.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" he yelled, jumping into the air and slamming a fist into a mound of snow that rested near one of the trees. Lucy stared at him in shock, her jaw dropping at the fact that he had just attacked snow.

"Natsu, cut it out! We aren't here to mess around." Lucy told him, glaring at the fire wizard.

"Natsu's gone crazy, do something Lucy!" Happy begged, clearly just as confused.

"Someone is in here, there's no doubt about it!" Natsu claimed, slamming his fire coated fist down again on the snow. Lucy rushed forward, grabbing Natsu's arm to stop his next attack.

"Please, Natsu, you're scaring us. There's nothing here, let's keep going to try and find where this storm ends." Lucy begged, watching Natsu turn to look at her calmly.

"Lucy…I'm sorry, but I'm not abandoning anyone trapped in this snow!" Natsu declared, pulling his arm free and resuming his attack. His flames grew hotter, burning through the snow slowly but steadily. Lucy stepped back, realizing that it was hopeless to try and stop Natsu when he was this determined to succeed. Suddenly, Natsu's fist seemed to actually break through, but something blasted them back. A dark wave of black magic seemed to break free of the snow, sending Lucy, Happy, and Natsu flying into the snow behind them. The snow around them stilled afterwords, as a boy stumbled across the ground and collapsed, looking exhausted and drained. His skin was as pale as a corpse, with snow-white hair and light brown pants. The only sign of color was his dark blue hoodie, a major contrast against the white of the snow.

Lucy got up, brushing snow off of her legs as she did so. Slowly, she walked over to the boy on the ground, wondering just how he had gotten trapped in the snow. He had to be dead, a thought that brought tears to her eyes. He had been lost in the weather outside, cold and alone, when he lost his life to this storm. Happy seemed to be in agreement, tears welling in his own eyes as he stared up at what looked like a child on the ground. Natsu's expression turned hard as well, clearly angry at whoever had caused this. "I'm going to make them pay. They won't get away with this." Natsu claimed, gritting his teeth as he glared at the forest around them.

"He was just a boy….you were right, Natsu. Someone was in there…we were too late." Lucy whispered, dropping to her knees once more by the young boy's side. Now that she was closer, she could see that he appeared to be in his teens, maybe a little younger than Natsu. She brushed his hair away from his face, tears running down her cheeks as she did so.

"We'll find who did this, Lucy. We're going to end this winter, for Fairy Tail and everyone else this storm has brought pain to." Natsu promised, touching her back gently as he joined her by the boy. She nodded, leaning into his hand slightly before noticing something about the boy. Yes, he was still and unconscious, but she could see his breath in the cold air. Despite being locked inside a frozen mound of ice for who knows how long, this kid was still alive.

"Natsu, look." Lucy said, pointing at the boy once more.

"I know, Lucy, it is awful." Natsu said, sounding a bit tired as he tried to comfort his friend. Lucy shook her head, wiping away her tears as she smiled down at him.

"He's still alive, you can see his breath in the air! We have to bring him back to Garnelia, someone will be able to help him there." Lucy insisted, getting up with a look of determination on her face.

Happy walked over, his own tears stopping when he realized Lucy was right. "Natsu, Lucy's right!" Happy said, joining them by the boy.

Natsu nodded, frowning slightly before shaking his head. "This kid is weird, how'd he live in all that ice?" he asked, turning towards Lucy who shrugged, flinching as she touched the kid's arm. It was almost colder than the air around her, strange considering the weather. As she glanced around her, her shock continued. The never-ending snowstorm seemed to have died off. While it was still cold, the snow had stopped falling.

"I…I don't know, but he needs help fast. If we don't get him warmed up, I think he might die soon." Lucy stated, while Natsu grinned and knelt over the boy, a flame dancing in his palm.

"This'll heat him up, watch me take care of it!" Natsu stated, while Lucy smacked his arm away.

"Not like that, Natsu! That's too much heat, do you really want to burn his skin off?" Lucy asked, while the dragon slayer shrugged, sighing as he moved to pick up the white haired boy.

Together, they began to make their way back to town, a bit slower than before. Lucy kept glancing back at Natsu as they moved on, worried about the boy on his back that seemed to be breathing heavily the more they walked on. "Hang in there, we're going to make sure you're alright." Lucy whispered to the boy, uncertain of if he could hear or not.

"Lucy, why are you so worried about this guy anyway? It's not like we know him or anything." Natsu asked, noticing how overly concerned Lucy was. The blond wizard frowned slightly, uncertain of the answer herself. Some part of her just knew she had to take care of this guy. Something about his youthfulness and the fact that he seemed like he had been out in this weather for so long made her sympathetic towards the kid.

"I don't know…I just can't stand watching anyone get hurt." Lucy said after a moment, watching Natsu nod and remain focused. He was uncharacteristically silent, actually looking thoughtful as they walked towards the city.

"Natsu…what's wrong?" Happy asked, noticing the strange behavior of his partner.

"Nothing….I just have a bad feeling about this guy we're helping. Did you see that black stuff that was blasted at us back there? How do we know that wasn't an attack?" Natsu demanded, while Lucy frowned slightly. It hadn't seemed like an attack. The boy had collapsed immediately after the blast, looking like he had already been unconscious within the snow.

"It looked like he was already knocked out to me. I think that magic came from something else. Maybe it was the curse?" Lucy suggested, while Natsu shrugged.

"Nah, it didn't look right for a winter curse like this. Though it seems like the snow is slowing down." Natsu commented, glancing around him and noticing the change in weather as well.

"Look, you don't have to help if you don't want to Natsu. I'll take care of the guy and you can go back and help the others if you dislike it so much." Lucy suggested, seeing that Natsu was not quite going to back down.

"No! I'm not leaving you alone with a potential enemy. You know I'd never let anyone hurt you, right Lucy?" Natsu said, looking a bit more like the fierce dragon slayer she knew. Lucy nodded, a bit surprised by his slight outburst, and they continued on once more. If she didn't know any better, she would almost say Natsu was jealous of this stranger. That wasn't possible, though, there wasn't anything for Natsu to be jealous of. Lucy frowned for the rest of their journey, trying to solve this mystery. She would make sure to do so eventually, even if it took the rest of their time on the mission to figure it out.

 **It's been a busy few weeks, but I had some extra free time today, so I got this chapter ready for you! Thank you for the review, I appreciate the feedback so far. I hope everyone seems in character so far, this is my first time writing anything with Fairy Tail characters and I hope I don't make anyone seem too OOC.**

 **As always, feel free to review with any thoughts, suggestions, or comments for the story!**


	5. Jack Frost

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail or Rise of the Guardians

Jack Frost remembered little but pain and sadness. He remembered wandering the world, desperate to find anyone who could see him. When winter arrived, he was relieved to see children that would play with him, bringing him laughter as he showed them his magic and used it to start snowball fights. Children loved seeing him, but his face grew sad when he realized his visibility was only temporary. As soon as the snow storm passed the town, he was invisible once more, leaving the children with nothing more than a fading memory of his presence.

That was why he had learned to control his snow so well outside of the facility he had been raised in. He could contain his blizzard, make them safe for others to be in and allow himself to be seen whenever he wanted. Most people wrote his existence off as nothing but a myth, but Jack grew used to the idea. He found a way to be happy, to be free from the pain brought by the Bureau of Magical Development. In the end, it wasn't enough. His days of freedom had been limited, something Jack should have known but failed to realize until it was too late.

He had enjoyed the town he was visiting most recently, a town that seemed to thrive on tourism. It meant that families would come, bringing their children to the city where Jack could possibly bring them out to play. He was always lonely, searching for someone who he could play some kind of game with. He had been about to throw a snowball when _he_ arrived, the one that would cause Jack far more pain than anyone he had met before.

The man was familiar, something Jack could not deny. It had already been winter and the snow was falling gently, not quite hard enough for Jack to be completely visible, but enough to give him a very faint presence, only visible to those who truly believed he was there. This man's golden yellow eyes stared straight at him, sending a chill through Jack that he hadn't felt in a long time. This man was from the Bureau, Jack knew it for sure. "Jack Frost, I've finally found you. Everyone else thinks you are dead, but I knew better." he stated, coming closer with a calm look on his face.

"Leave me alone! Haven't you already done enough?" Jack asked, feeling a bit of fear rise within him. Fear wasn't good for his magic, it made it hard to focus on controlling if it got too strong. Jack worked on taming it slightly, calming down with a deep breath as he faced off against this man. Jack was strong, he could fight off one man on his own to stay free. Even in isolation, anything was better than the place he once knew to be his home.

"My dear boy, you know nothing of the world around you. You owe us, for making you powerful! You will come back with me, I will not take no for an answer!" the man yelled, this time managing to get the attention of a few people in the streets. Unlike Jack, this man was not invisible, but his appearance was enough to intimidate others into backing off.

"I will never go back! That is a promise." Jack told him confidently, believing that with his power he could win against one wizard. The Winter Spirit had no idea how wrong he was, until the man attacked.

"Oh? Well, perhaps I will let you keep that promise, Jack Frost. Know that your demise came at the hands of Pitch Black, and let your fear be your undoing." the man stated with a dark grin, moving forward to attack. Jack decided it might be better to get out of town first, to avoid harming the others. He wasn't going to let others get hurt because of his own problems.

Jack ran quickly through the town, making it deep into the forest before Pitch found him. "There's no where left to run, Frost. No where left to hide, nothing left but darkness and fear, the very things that I work best with." Pitch stated with a grin, his eyes and teeth looking so bright compared to the dark forest around them. It had been night, Jack remembered that much about the attack. Pitch had sent a massive wave of darkness towards him, darkness that completely surrounded him as he tried to call on his magic to protect himself. Instead of shielding him, his ice only made it worse, encasing himself in a frozen wall with the dark magic locked inside with him. He had heard Pitch's laughter outside faintly, before he lost consciousness in his dome of ice. Jack knew that he would never see the light of day again, that this would be his endless torment for all of eternity. Perhaps it was better this way, a decent end for a boy that no one could see and no one would ever care for.

Even with his eyes closed, the torment never ended. Nightmares plagued his dreams, reminding him of the family he once had so long ago before he was taken away. He watched his sister die repeatedly, with him standing around helpless to stop it. His screams were only heard within his own mind, but even so, Jack managed to hold onto his sanity. These images seemed to go on forever, until something seemed to break through the horror. He felt warm, something that rarely happened for him anymore. His magic was too strong, always keeping his body cold even on the hottest summer day. This heat wasn't right and Jack allowed himself a small smile of wonder, hoping that this meant his curse was ending.

His eyes blinked open and he groaned, seeing harsh bright light for the first time in so long. Even his dreams had been shrouded in darkness, monsters hiding in the shadows and haunting his mind. The warmth seemed to be coming from underneath him, from a boy that was carrying him. Jack blinked a few times at that thought, realizing that someone here could see him. That meant that a blizzard was somewhere nearby, and as Jack gazed out in front of him, he felt a deep sense of horror sink into his gut. Snow covered everything here, huge massive piles everywhere on the sidewalks and homes. What Jack had once tried to use to play games now seemed to be a dangerous device that caused mayhem for this city. He could see trees dying in the cold weather, ice coating the street that refused to melt, and people slipping on the ground as they walked down the street to get back inside.

"No…." Jack whispered, his voice cracking as he did so. His fear was rising again and Jack could see snowflakes forming in the air, beginning to fall once more. He had caused this, there was no doubt about it.

"Huh? Are you awake?" the pink haired boy beneath him asked, his head turning upward towards Jack.

"I…yeah. How did you find me?" Jack asked, knowing he had been trapped for a long time. He had little sense of how much time had passed, but this town had changed so much since he had gone. It would take years to do this much damage to the plants here, to cause all of the people's faces to lose all hints of hope.

"Natsu has a sense of smell as strong as a dragon! He can sniff out anyone, anywhere!" Happy declared cheerfully, making Jack blink in surprise at the sight of a talking, flying cat. The blue creature was flying right next to the pink-haired boy, now named Natsu, looking incredibly carefree and happy.

"Uh, right. Look, thanks for the help, but you guys really should stay away from me. I figured it out after last time, anyone around me will only get hurt, so it is best if you guys leave me alone." Jack told them, his mind flashing back to Pitch. Jack knew that his abductor would not give up so easily, not after all of the effort he had put into trapping Jack in that nightmare. Natsu stood up straight, making Jack lose his balance and fall off of the dragon slayer and onto the ground.

"Look, Lucy says she wants you to be taken care of, so that's what we're going to do. After being out here so long, you need to warm up." Natsu insisted, before Jack finally noticed the girl with him. She had blond hair, part of it pulled into a ponytail with a blue bow tying it up, and a large white coat on.

"Well, I don't really get cold, it isn't a big deal." Jack told him, not used to meeting people like this. He hadn't had friends in a long time, he no longer remembered how to interact with people his own age. Most adults that saw him simply thought it was their imagination, turning around and leaving moments after Jack tried to play with them. It was why the Winter Spirit preferred kids, who didn't run away, but he wasn't going to tell these people that.

"Really? Then why are your hands freezing cold?" the blond demanded, touching his hand as if to prove a point. She was warm, not quite as warm as Natsu, but Jack knew it was a result of his magic.

"That's my magic….it keeps me cold like that." Jack said, pulling his hand back awkwardly. Natsu was glaring at him now, for doing nothing but talking with the girl. Maybe she was his girlfriend or something, it would explain his possessive attitude.

"So, you're the wizard that cursed this town, huh? Well, funny, we're the wizards hired to end this winter." Natsu said, grinning as he pounded his fist into his palm. Jack's eyes widened, realizing that this kid wanted to fight him too.

"No…I don't want to hurt anyone! Please, just leave me alone!" Jack begged, feeling far more alone than he had in years.

Natsu stopped for a moment, frowning as he dropped his fists. "Hey, you okay?" he asked, a rather sudden flip in his attitude.

"Natsu, you just threatened him, I don't think this is going to help him calm down." Lucy stated, looking a bit frustrated with the boy. Jack grinned though after a moment, realizing that maybe this guy could be fun. He was energetic and almost child-like in his personality from what Jack had seen. The Winter Spirit wanted to have fun so badly, to forget his nightmares and move on with his life.

"Nah, it's not a big deal. I mean, I think this is my fault. Didn't mean to cause this much damage….how long was I in that igloo?" Jack asked, deciding that an igloo was the closest name to the ice that had trapped him.

"Dunno. I just smelled ya and burned the snow away." Natsu said with a grin, this time with flames appearing by his hands to emphasize his point. Jack grinned at the sight, realizing that this kid had magic too. These people were wizards, as they had stated earlier, much like him. Maybe they could help him, keep him away from the Bureau that sought to continue their experiments on him now that they knew he was still alive.

"Well, if it helps, you look like you're about fourteen now…" Lucy began, but Jack was shaking his head, a sad smile on his face.

"That won't work. I…they did something to me. I really don't know what….but I don't age anymore. I'm also invisible to the world around me, until winter arrives." Jack told them, feeling a hollowness deep in his chest. He was always alone, always longing for someone to have by his side, yet his wish was never granted. He was always running, fearful of the world around him and the pain it could bring.

"Wait, so you will live forever? That's so cool! You're like a real-life vampire. Can you make me one too?" Natsu asked, getting far too excited over the idea.

"Natsu, back off! Can't you see he's upset?" Lucy asked, criticizing her partner.

"Lucy, I just wanted to ask him a question. I wasn't being mean!" Natsu insisted, making Jack grin. These two really were cute together, though Jack thought they needed to find a way to stop arguing.

"Alright, alright, calm down. Arguing like this only brings us trouble, why don't we have some fun instead?" Jack suggested, grinning over at them as he created a snowball in his hand, tossing it into the air lazily. It had been so long since his last snowball fight, years since he had found a group of children willing to play with him. This town had always been a good place to go when he needed to be seen just briefly, it was the reason why he had been here when Pitch attacked.

"Natsu…I think he's trying to challenge you to a fight." Happy said, a bit surprised as Jack laughed in response.

"Sure, why not. It's a snowball fight, ever heard of that?" Jack asked, while Natsu grinned, picking up snow in his own hand.

"Alright, I'm all fired up! You're going down, ice-mage!" Natsu declared, throwing his snowball at Jack who grinned and dodged with ease. Natsu tried once more, determined as ever to get a hit in. When Jack dodged again, this time jumping above the throw, Natsu got a bit annoyed. Jack grinned at his expression, before throwing his own snowball at the dragon slayer and landing the first hit of the battle.

"Hey, that's no fair! You've gotta stay still and let me hit you!" Natsu complained, looking upset that he couldn't hit Jack. Lucy was giggling as she watched them, amused at the sight of Jack and Natsu playing a game in the street.

"Happy, help me out here!" Natsu ordered, while Jack frowned slightly, uncertain about how a cat could help. He saw just how, when Happy actually picked the wizard up into the sky, flying Natsu around with his arms full of snowballs to drop down onto Jack. The Winter Spirit was a little unprepared for an aerial attack, grinning as the snow landed on his head and pelted him from above. While he was able to dodge some of the snowballs, Natsu had finally managed to get his shot in and he cheered in victory over that fact. "Ha! I got you, you're going down now!" Natsu insisted, while Jack grinned, jumping back as Happy swooped down with Natsu in his grip, allowing the dragon slayer to replenish his supply of snowballs as they skimmed across the ground.

"Natsu, quit goofing around! We're supposed to be investigating this storm, why are you playing with Happy?" a voice demanded, distracting Jack and Natsu from their game. Happy stopped his flight, landing with Natsu in front of a shirtless boy with dark black hair and a strange blue mark on his chest. "Huh, what's that?" Jack asked, pointing to the mark and forgetting that the snow in town made him visible to these wizards. "My guild mark, I'm a member of Fairy Tail." Gray explained, looking at the kid like he was an idiot.

"Who is this? Natsu, does this boy know something about the blizzard?" Erza demanded, joining them just after Gray. Jack watched as a child, nearly the same age he appeared to be, stepped out from behind the red-haired women, this one with dark blue hair and kind brown eyes. Something about her eyes and features hit Jack hard, reminding him of his sister that was probably dead by now. His smile faded and his gaze turned towards the sky, wondering why he was forced to live like this once more.

"Excuse me, is something wrong?" the child asked, her voice kind and sweet like his sister's had once been. Jack frowned, realizing he couldn't even remember her name anymore, even though he could picture his sister's dark brown eyes and hair, that had once matched his own. He glanced down at this girl at the concerned frown on her face, and he decided he didn't like seeing a frown on her. He wanted to make this kid happy, so he faked a smile of his own for the child.

"Nah, just thinking about something. You wanna go play a game? We can go ice skating, or make snow angels?" Jack suggested, watching Wendy shake her head in response.

"Sorry, I am helping this town right now. I need to get stronger and finish this mission, but maybe later you can stop by our guild and we can play a game." she suggested, while Jack shrugged, glancing at the group in front of him.

"Look, you guys can consider your job done. Now that I'm out of that…well, let's just say the snow will stop. It had been cold and dark, and I was scared, but now it's all over and I'm in control again." Jack explained, while Gray glared at him, and Lucy's jaw dropped in shock.

"You did all of that….because you were scared?" Lucy demanded, a bit stunned.

"Lucy's right, you don't go around hurting others because you aren't feeling safe." Gray insisted, while Jack glanced down at his hands with a distant look on his face.

"I can't help it. I've learned to control it when I'm calm, but too much fear and the magic…becomes overwhelming, it takes over." Jack stated, smiling over at Wendy as he created a small snowflake in his hand and let it drift on the wind towards her. The young girl stared at it in amazement, clearly awed by the intricate design Jack had given it.

"Well, there was that weird black magic trapped in there with you. Maybe that caused you to lose control?" Natsu suggested, while Jack shuddered at the memory of what that darkness had done.

"No…that was what made me afraid. It trapped me in a nightmare, one from which I couldn't wake up from." Jack told them, a haunted look on his face. He felt something warm touch his hand, making him glance down to see Wendy holding his hand once more.

"It'll be okay. I get scared too, sometimes, when we go on missions and face strong wizards. Being with friends makes it so much easier to get through your fear!" Wendy insisted with a smile, but her words did little to cheer Jack up. He longed for friends, for someone to keep in his life for longer than just a few weeks in the winter. Jack Frost was tired of his isolation, but no one was around to help free him from his isolation.

 **So, I had a bad day today. My car broke down on my way home from work, now I don't have a way of getting there tomorrow! I thought some writing might cheer me up...but sadly, it did not seem to do so. Either way, I've got a chapter ready for you as a result, so you guys have a reason to be happy! Hope you enjoy, and that I didn't make it too depressing as a result of my mood. Oh, and thanks for the review, I promise I'll keep going with this story, I'm just really busy right now and don't have a lot of time to write. As always, reviews are appreciated and right now, I could really use some kind words about something. Feel free to leave any comments, concerns, or questions for me, I'll make sure to answer if you have any!**


	6. Picnic

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Rise of the Guardians or Fairy Tail

Jack Frost had ended up following the wizards to the mayor's house, apparently needing to explain the cause of this storm to the man. He was tired and done with all of this, ready to just rest when this was finished. Jack felt like he had exhausted the last of his energy with that snowball fight with Natsu and now he stared blankly at the others as they moved on with the mission. Wendy and Lucy would occasionally glance at him with concern on their faces, but the Winter Spirit did not feel like talking right now. He was a mystery to them, he knew, but Jack was not ready to talk about himself quite yet.

"I knew someone finally set you free. I'm rather surprised to see you come crawling right back to the place where I found you, though." a voice said from behind him, making Jack jump and whirl around.

"Pitch, where are you?" Jack demanded, glaring into the street behind him and watching as a man walked towards them. They had yet to walk into the mayor's house, a good thing considering what was about to happen.

"Oh, I'm not here to fight, not yet. It is nice to see such lovely faces here, the pupil of the mighty Ur for starters. You know, Jack, if it wasn't for you, we never would have accomplished our greatest achievement with Ur's child. You made it all possible, helped us understand just how easy it is to manipulate an individual's magical ability to meet our needs." Pitch stated, walking over to Jack with a smile.

"Stay where you are, or we will strike you down." Erza stated, her sword drawn for battle. Gray and Natsu were standing by her side, just as ready to fight as she was. Even Lucy looked ready to fight, her whip pulled out as she glared at the man threatening Jack.

"Guys, this isn't necessary." Jack stated, but Gray was already angry.

"What do you know about Ur? How do you know who I am?" he demanded, while Pitch chuckled, clearly amused with this little game of his.

"I am part of a powerful organization, one with connections everywhere in this world. Today, I shall leave you with a warning, Fairy Tail wizards. The Winter Spirit belongs to us, relinquish him or you will make us your enemy." Pitch stated, clearly satisfied with his warning. "Oh, and before I go, I thought I'd leave dear Jack with one last gift. I do hope you enjoy, I will be seeing you soon, Frost." Pitch stated, giving them one last grin after tossing the object on the ground, vanishing into the shadows once more.

Jack stepped forward hesitantly, leaning down with wide eyes at the object on the ground. It was a newspaper, something that seemed rather ordinary, but what caught Jack's eye was the headline. There had been a terrible attack recently, from one of the dark guilds, on the town he had once called home. Skimming through the article, Jack froze at the names mentioned within. His family, the Overlands, were listed as one of the victims of the attack. They were dead….his family really was gone. Even though Jack knew it would happen eventually, he always hoped he would see them one last time before their death. "Jack, what is it?" Lucy asked, but Jack pulled the paper away from her outstretched hand.

"My family….they're gone. I thought…maybe just one more time…." Jack mumbled, tears starting to fall from his eyes.

"It's okay, my mom's gone too. I miss her every day and I hope to see her again too." Wendy stated, grabbing Jack's hand. The Winter Spirit looked down at the girl, the one who seemed so much like his sister, before pulling her into a tight hug, clutching her close. He needed someone to protect, someone to keep an eye on like his little sister. They might be gone, but this girl was here now, needing a family to support her.

"We'll look for her together then, okay?" Jack said, his voice still heavy with sadness as he pulled back and left his hands on just her shoulders. Wendy looked a bit flustered, a slight blush on her cheeks as she nodded weakly at him.

"Get your hands off of Wendy! I will not let anyone harm her in any way." Charle insisted, glaring over at Jack who grinned over at the second talking cat. They had all introduced themselves earlier, but it was still a strange sight to see.

"Charle, it's alright! Jack wasn't hurting me." Wendy insisted.

"No, he liiiikes her!" Happy insisted, making Wendy blush even further as Jack jumped up, a bit shocked himself at the cat's insinuation. Normally, he would have blushed, but with his strange magic he was unable to do so.

"Wendy just reminds me of my sister, that's all!" Jack insisted, making them all blink at him in surprise.

"You have a sister?" Lucy said questioningly, clearly unaware of that fact.

"Indeed, I believe we know very little about Jack here. Perhaps we should get to know him over a picnic. I've always dreamed of having a wonderful picnic together with my friends, I shall cherish this day for the rest of my life." Erza insisted, while Lucy began to back away slightly at her dramatic actions over such a small event.

"Well, no getting out of it now. Trust me, you don't want to piss off Erza." Gray stated, turning towards Jack who nodded. He was slowly beginning to learn that no one in this group was quite normal, which was fine with him.

"That's great, but what about Pitch? You guys should just leave me behind, it's better for you guys." Jack told them, turning back as they began walking off after Erza.

"Do you want to go with that guy?" Natsu asked him, frowning slightly. Jack shook his head immediately, but there was no way he was letting these people get hurt by Pitch because of him. "Well, then don't worry about i! We're Fairy Tail, if he wants to mess with our friends, then he's messing with our whole guild. Everyone knows, you don't wanna make Fairy Tail your enemy." Natsu exclaimed, giving Jack a grin as they continued walking.

"Hey, I really hate to ask you this right now, but do you know what he meant about Ur?" Gray asked, turning towards Jack who frowned slightly, realizing he had to tell them the truth about where he came from. If they were really going to help keep him safe, they deserved to know the truth.

"Yeah, I do, but it isn't a nice story. Pitch is part of the Bureau of Magical Development and many years ago, they kidnapped me away from my home. After numerous experiments on me, they managed to increase my magical ability far too high, making my very presence dependent on the presence of the element I wield. At first, I didn't realize this. I was a phantom, a ghost haunting the halls of the facility where everyone thought I had died. While I was invisible to the world around me, they brought a new subject in, a child just like I had been. Her mother brought her there willingly, begging the organization to help suppress the child's magic power. The child was Ultear, her mother was Ur." Jack explained, a sad look in his eyes.

"Ultear was how I learned to reveal my presence to others. I would try and cheer her up in the night, bringing her small amounts of snow in her room to try and make her smile. Eventually, I made enough snow to become visible to her and we began playing games in our free time. It still didn't stop me from witnessing just how deep the Bureau's darkness went, though. When Ur came back to check on her daughter, the doctor's sent her away, claiming Ultear had died during their attempts to suppress her magic power, when in reality they were doing the same thing to Ultear that they had done to me." Jack explained, before sighing and glancing off into the distance. "I left not long after that, afraid of what would happen if they discovered I was still alive and in that place. Pitch was the first one to find me after I left, probably just a year or two after I had escaped." Jack finished, while the others stared at him with sympathy.

"So, he really doesn't know anything about Ur. Man, that guy was good at getting on my nerves." Gray commented, while the others nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I get why everyone was so scared of him before. Did you see the way he seemed to enjoy our torment? What guy enjoys causing pain to others?" Lucy demanded.

"Don't worry about him, Lucy. Natsu will beat him, no problem!" Happy said, confident as ever in his partners abilities.

"These people do seem like they have made a grave mistake. They have hurt our friends, our newest comrade, and we shall never forgive them. Once we have finished our wonderful picnic, we will take down this Bureau of Magical Development and prevent tragedies like this one from befalling other children." Erza stated confidently, while Jack blinked a few times in surprise. He couldn't believe that she already saw him as a friend, after such a short period of time. Had he really made that much of an impact on them already?

As Jack gazed over at Erza, he began to see a somewhat haunted look on her face. Maybe she had experienced something similar to him in her past. He really didn't know these people yet, but for some reason, they all trusted him and let him join their group. For the first time in years, Jack began to feel like he had friends again. "Sweet, when do we start? If it means getting rid of those freaks that want to torture me, I'm all in." Jack told her with a grin, watching Natsu look excited as well.

"All right, I'm getting fired up now! We've got some big shot organization to take down, you guys with me?" he declared, while Happy grinned by his side.

"Cool it, flame brain. We still need to find their headquarters before we can do anything." Gray countered, getting Natsu annoyed as he glared at the ice wizard.

"I know! We can go back to the guild and ask Levy. I'm sure she has a book on the Bureau of Magical Development somewhere, it has to tell us at least something we can use to find them." Lucy suggested, while the others nodded in agreement. Jack remained silent, knowing he could help but not wanting to go back to that place once more. Yes, he wanted the experiments to stop, but he wasn't ready to face the place he ended up growing up in. His pain was still fresh in his mind, something that never completely left him. That was the place that isolated him from the world, the reason why he didn't have a family or friends.

"That is an excellent idea. Let us enjoy our picnic and then head back towards the guild." Erza stated, smiling as they walked outside of the town.

Jack hesitated at the edge, where the snow stopped. No one would be able to see him if he followed at this point, not with the way his magic worked. The others glanced back at him, not understanding why he was staying inside Garnelia City. He had explained it to them earlier, but no one truly understood how it felt to be invisible to the world around you. "Jack, it's alright. We know you're here and as long as we have faith in that, no curse can keep you hidden from us." Lucy stated confidently, while Natsu frowned at her comment. Jack wondered how the girl didn't see it yet, Natsu really was possessive of Lucy.

"No one has been able to see me since that day…at least not permanently. You have no idea what it was like…." Jack said quietly, still standing at the edge of town.

"You're right, we don't. Jack, we all miss people and have problems in our past, but that does not mean we cannot move forward. Learn to turn your weakness into strength and rely on your friends, that is the Fairy Tail way." Erza stated, encouraging him to walk out. Wendy smiled by her side, also confident that Jack would not disappear. Taking a deep breath, Jack took a step forward, stopping when his bare feet felt the grass underneath him. His eyes were closed for a moment, before he raised his head to stare up at the people that had freed him from Pitch's darkness.

"See, looks like Lucy was right! We aren't going anywhere, not when we know you are here." Natsu said with a grin, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Jack glanced up at the dragon slayer, giving him a small grin as he nodded.

"Maybe you should join Fairy Tail. It is a great guild and I'm sure they would welcome a powerful mage like you." Wendy suggested as they continued walking, searching for a good spot to set up their picnic. Jack was really just letting Erza take charge of the event, she seemed focused on making it perfect. Now that Jack was free, the weather would not interfere with their picnic so Jack really didn't care. He was still in shock over the fact that he was in the sun, and visible to others.

"What is it like, being in a guild like that?" Jack asked, not quite familiar with the world anymore. He had a childish view of everything, having his education halted early on so he could focus on learning how to use his magic. The world around him was still a confusing place, something he had tried to learn about when he was free but he had very little time to do so.

"Fairy Tail is like a big family. They took me in when I had no where else to go. Natsu and the others are all really helpful, wanting us to grow stronger and closer to each other through every mission we go on." Wendy explained, smiling over at her friends. Lucy and Natsu were laughing, talking to each other with Happy flying by their side in front of them. Erza was scouting the area once more, trying to find the perfect place to rest for their picnic. Gray was off to the side, confusing Jack when the winter spirit noticed him taking his pants off.

"What is he doing?" Jack asked, getting slightly distracted as Wendy followed his gaze, turning red at the sight of Gray.

"Huh? What's your problem?" Gray asked them, now in just his boxers.

"Dude, you do realize you just took off your pants, right?" Jack asked, watching Gray panic and glance down at himself.

"How did that happen?" he demanded, before going to retrieve his missing clothes.

"Wendy seems to have forgotten to mention the most important part of the guild. There has yet to be a single sane member. Gray has a stripping habit, Erza overreacts and terrorizes the guild, and Natsu is always searching for a fight with anyone. Honestly, how you put up with these people is a mystery to me, Wendy." Charle commented from her side, shaking her head at Gray with her arms crossed in front of her body. Jack laughed at her words, already looking forward to meeting the others. If this was what Fairy Tail was like, it sounded like fun. Jack was always a sucker for anything fun, so there was no doubt in his mind that he wanted to be a part of this guild.

"Charle, would you like my fish?" Happy asked, flying over to them and walking by the white cat. Jack grinned at the blue cat, amused at his attempt to win over Charle, who turned her nose up at him and hurried on after Wendy.

"Hey, don't feel too bad, Happy. I'm sure you'll win her over one day." Jack told him, watching Happy grin over at Jack.

"Aye! Charle will accept my fish one day, I know she will." Happy said, while Jack frowned, wondering if the cat just didn't understand. Charle didn't like the fish, so he had to try a different gift. Regardless, Happy was already moving on, joining the others.

"Here is perfect. I can't believe that I am finally having my very first picnic. I will cherish this day for the rest of my life." Erza announced, sitting down after setting up the blanket and a ton of food.

Jack's eyes were wide, suddenly understanding just some of what that women kept on the massive cart of luggage she had been dragging behind her. "Whoa, this looks amazing. You really know how to make a good picnic, Erza." Jack commented, sitting down with her while she smiled at him, clearly pleased with him compliment.

"Food! Happy, let's dig in." Natsu said, making Jack laugh at how messy the dragon slayer was when eating food. He probably didn't taste a thing, devouring it without even chewing before moving on to something else.

"Sorry about Natsu….he doesn't exactly have table manners. He was raised by a dragon, actually." Lucy commented, making Jack's eyes grow wide.

"Really?" he replied, while Wendy nodded, sitting next to Jack and Lucy on the blanket.

"All of us dragon slayers were. For some reason, seven years ago, all of our dragons disappeared. My mother, Grandeeney, taught me everything I know about magic. As happy as Natsu acts, I know he still misses Igneel every day, and that he is searching for him just as much as I am searching for Grandeeney." Wendy explained, watching as Natsu began to shoo away Happy, who was trying to take a fish off of Natsu's plate. The cat began crying, finally winning the dragon slayer over who surrendered the fish to the cat. Happy was immediately satisfied, eating the fish with a content look on his face. Erza and Gray were talking amongst themselves too, and it seemed rather peaceful as they sat together. They all wore such happy expressions, Jack never realized how much pain they had experienced in their past.

"Hey, Wendy…I think you're right. When we get to your guild, I'm gonna join Fairy Tail." Jack told her, watching the young girl smile happily up at him.

"That's great! We're going to have so much fun together, Jack." she said, while Lucy smiled as well.

"Things can get a bit crazy over there, but I would never regret my decision to join. It's a lot of fun at Fairy Tail and I've made so many friends….I think you'll fit in just fine." Lucy said, smiling over at Jack.

"Seems like you've gotten a bit closer than just friends with Natsu over there." Jack commented, watching Lucy blush heavily and shake her head in refusal.

"Wha—of course not! Why would I ever be involved with someone like that? He's crazy, rude, and obnoxious." Lucy insisted, but Jack laughed, her blush telling another story. That girl was interested in Natsu, just like he was in her. These two needed to learn how to read signals, otherwise they would end up single for the rest of their lives.

"So, you use ice magic too?" Gray commented, interrupting Jack's amusement as he pulled Jack into the conversation with him and Erza.

"I guess. I tend to work more with snow and frost than actual ice, though." Jack replied, watching Gray frown slightly.

"That's weird. With as much magical power as you have, you should be able to wield ice with ease. Have you ever tried?" he asked, while Jack shrugged.

"Not really. I always wanted to use my magic for fun, so snow worked out a bit better than ice did. The most I've ever done with ice was before I was taken from my family, when I'd freeze over our lake so my sister and I could go ice skating." Jack told him, still not understanding what Gray was going for.

"Well, if you ever want to learn, I'd be willing to teach you the basics of ice-make magic. It would help you learn a bit more control over your powers, and allow you to do more than just create massive blizzards everywhere." Gray told him, while Jack laughed at his words.

"You think that's all I do? Those blizzards are made for a reason, Gray. Snow is fun, I'd start snowball fights with children and we'd all be smiling and laughing even in the cold." Jack explained, while Wendy smiled over at him.

"I like the way you view magic, Jack. You make it sound like a dream, something so amazing and wonderful that you can't help but love it." she insisted, while Jack grinned over at her.

"Well, there's more to magic than just fighting, Wendy. Why learn to use it if you don't like having it?" Jack asked her, while she smiled in agreement.

"There are certain situations in which one can be forced to learn. Survival is a very motivating factor in learning magic. If you wish to become stronger, many mages will learn to strengthen their magic before their bodies." Erza commented, trying to refute Jack's point.

"Well, you just killed the mood, Erza. Anyway, if we're going to be fighting against the Bureau, I should probably learn a little bit about fighting. I'd be happy to learn from you, Gray, just tell me what you want me to do." Jack stated, before Gray stood up with a grin.

"Alright, I'm going to train you just like how Ur trained me. I will not be lenient and you will follow my orders." he began, making Jack wonder just what he had gotten himself into. Maybe he didn't want to learn ice-make magic after all, but it was a bit too late for that it seemed.

 **Alright, I've got another chapter ready for you! I'm super tired lately, it probably turned out pretty awful, but I hate making people wait too long. Hope you don't mind, feel free to let me know if there is anything specific I need to work on and I'll do my best! Thank you for the reviews, you guys are all amazing, I love hearing your** **thoughts. Any thoughts on what is about to happen? Many of you can probably already guess how this will turn out...hope you are as excited as I am for it!**


	7. Work vs Play

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail or ROTG

After the picnic, Lucy, Erza, and Natsu had to head back to town to inform the mayor that they had completed their job. Jack and Gray were off on their own, letting the others deal with the man for now. Gray wanted to show Jack a few things before they got to the guild, so they were starting his training now. "Alright, first thing first. Take off your shirt." Gray ordered, stripping down once more in front of Jack.

"Huh? Why would I do that?" Jack asked, watching as Gray stood calmly within the forest. They were back where Jack had been found, where the weather was still a bit cooler as his magic wore off from the town. It was heating up steadily, but it took time to return to normal weather after Jack brought a snowstorm anywhere.

"You need to learn to become one with the cold. This is what Ur taught me, what I will teach you." Gray explained, still looking indifferent to the slight chill in the air. Jack laughed at his idea, knowing that he already had no issues with the cold.

"I'm already good with the cold. Trust me, it's heat that I have a problem with. That's probably what woke me up anyway, Natsu was way too warm for me." Jack stated, before realizing how weird that sentence was.

"Then why do you wear that hoodie all the time? If you hate being hot, try wearing lighter clothing!" Gray said, looking frustrated with Jack already. With a sigh, Jack caved in and took the shirt off, trying to make up for disagreeing with his instructor. He felt uncomfortable like this, but luckily no one else was here to see him.

"Ice-make magic is very useful, but its strength depends a lot on you. You can create anything you can imagine, so your mind is your only limitation outside of actual magical power." Gray informed him, before adjusting his stance in front of Jack. Jack watched his legs space out slightly, while his hands were clasped together by his side, one in the shape of a fist and the other open, palm brushing against his fist. "Picture what you want to happen…then invoke your spell with words. Feel the magic build up within you and never forget to use both hands. One-handed ice make magic is unstable and imbalanced. Your creations will fail you when you need them most." he continued, as Jack watched his hands begin to glow blue.

"Ice-make: Shield!" Gray yelled, while Jack jumped back in surprise. The wizard had made a large shield in front of him, blocking his body from Jack entirely with ice. "This is a basic spell, one that almost anyone who practices maker magic can use. You can make this magic your own with your own style, but certain spells are required for everyone. A shield is the most basic means of defense, and it will be the first thing you learn to make." Gray told Jack, while the winter spirit sighed, realizing just how much work this was going to be. It wasn't fun like he wanted it to be, like he always tried to make his magic. In the end, this was necessary, though. He had to get stronger, to defeat Pitch and everyone else that sought to experiment on children to find ways to strengthen magic in others.

As he continued staring over at Gray's creation, Jack slowly began to frown. As far as fighting styles went, this one seemed rather boring. Sure, you could get creative and use a bunch of different attacks, but it wasn't really his style. Besides, the shield in Gray's grip looked weak, not nearly enough to withstand many attacks. Seriously, it was ice, how strong could it be? To test is theory, Jack reached out towards it, drawing on his magic as he pressed his hand against Gray's shield. "What are you doing, you idiot? Try making one yourself, don't just mess around with mine." Gray argued.

Jack shook his head, smiling as he got an idea. Things could be a lot more fun if he did his own thing with this lesson. Keeping that in mind, he walked away from Gray, putting his hoodie back on with a smirk. "Sorry, this just isn't my thing. I'm more snowballs and fun times, you're making this far too much work." Jack argued. Gray stared at him with a glare, looking irritated with Jack's antics. To annoy Gray even further, Jack blew a stream of cold air towards his shield, trying to prove what he had noticed earlier. "Besides, this thing can't really protect you. Watch this, I'm gonna shatter it in seconds." Jack told him, smirking as the shield seemed to grow even colder than before, the temperature dropping severely enough to shatter in Gray's grip.

Gray's eyes widened, staring at Jack in disbelief. "What the hell? Did you just _freeze_ my shield?" he demanded, clearly not believing it. Jack smirked over at Gray, glad that he apparently could do something even his teacher couldn't do. Even if he had never used his magic for fighting, he still had a few tricks that he could use to defend himself. If not, there was always one last fallback to use, though he didn't always like it. Controlling people's emotions wasn't all that nice, even if all he ever did was put them in a fun-loving mood.

"That's impossible. Man, I didn't realize just how much magic power you had." Gray commented, shaking his head as he ran a hand through his hair. "Just what else can you do? Maybe we'll figure out a way to work with that, since you don't seem too inclined to learn ice-make magic." he asked, turning towards Jack.

The winter spirit shrugged, getting rather bored with this already. Lessons had seemed like fun at first, now they were just work. "Anything related to winter, basically. Snow, ice, frost, I can do it all." Jack insisted. "In fact….why don't we have a bit of fun right now instead of this lesson? I think I've changed my mind on learning from you, Gray, you don't seem to have much to teach me after all." he continued.

Gray raised an eyebrow at the winter spirit, clearly interested yet somehow, he still managed to look annoyed with him. "Seriously? Is that all you can think about? You're almost as bad as Natsu, you've gotta learn this stuff if you're gonna be in a guild." Gray told him, while Jack frowned, glancing over at the ice wizard.

"Why? I mean, don't get me wrong, I understand that the purpose of a guild is for wizards to find work and stuff, but what makes that something I have to do? It's not like I need to earn money, and I have no intention of going out and working if I'm being completely honest. I'll just be there to hang out and have fun." Jack stated, while Gray narrowed his gaze over at Jack.

"Sometimes, you can't just sit back and ignore the battle in front of you. Sometimes, the enemy will come to you." Gray told him, still focused on teaching Jack at least something about defending himself.

The winter spirit sighed, seeing that he really wasn't going to be able to convince Gray to stop this way. "So? Tell you what, if I prove to you that I can take care of myself, will you just move on from this? I'm sure I can find a way to have some fun at least, if I'm testing the limits of my magic." Jack told Gray, watching the ice-make wizard look at him like he was crazy.

"Do you seriously think you could win against me? Even if you can freeze my shield, that little stunt of yours took way too long to be of any use in battle. I've been working with magic ever since I was a child, I'm practically a master in ice-make magic and I still learn more every day." Gray told Jack, but he was moving into his stance to create something anyway.

Jack grinned over at him, seeing that he was at least getting the chance to try. Sure, his last attempt at freezing Gray's creation had been slow, but that was intentional. After all, if it froze and shattered immediately, it wouldn't have had quite the same impact as a dramatic explosion, which was what he had created. "Alright then, let's see just how much cold you can withstand." Jack stated, watching as Gray raised an eyebrow at him. This was going to show this wizard to keep his clothes on, Jack thought, as he began to bring forth a blizzard far stronger than the one in Garnelia City had ever been. Neither of them could see anything that wasn't directly in front of them, and the temperature had dropped dramatically. Anyone else caught within this storm would have frozen over completely, something that could be determined from the sight of the frozen trees and grass around them. Even small animals were frozen, though Jack was unaware of that fact as he moved closer to Gray, wanting to see just how well he was holding up in this storm.

"Ice Make: Lance!" he heard, a shout that warned him of an attack coming his way. Jack moved quickly, jumping aside with ease after years of practice from snowball fights. Who knew that they would be training him to dodge actual attacks? Grinning, Jack decided that he still could have some more fun with this.

He swung his hand out in front of him, a wave of snow flying forward and colliding with Gray. The ice-make wizard was pushed back, flying into the tree behind him. Jack winced slightly, realizing that it must have hit him harder than he planned. "Oops." he whispered, hoping that Gray was alight. Still, the half-naked boy got back up, glaring over at Jack as he stepped closer.

He smirked as he noticed something about Gray, something that he had missed before. The other wizard was actually shivering in this weather, a feat anyone should be proud of. "Well, looks like you're alright. Want to keep going, because I think I've already shown you that I'm perfectly capable of having fun while keeping myself alive." Jack told Gray, while the other wizard took up his stance again, preparing another creation.

"Ice Make: Hammer!" he yelled, a massive hammer appearing above Jack and dropping down. Seeing that he would not be quick enough to dodge, Jack dropped the temperature around it even further, freezing it instantly as he reached out and touched the creation, shattering it within seconds.

"I told you before, your ice isn't all that strong." Jack commented, watching as Gray continued staring at him with wide eyes. "I know, I've got something that'll prove to you that no one will ever be a danger to me. Sorry, Gray, but I've got no other choice to get out of this stupid lesson I agreed to earlier." Jack commented, creating a single snowball in his hand that he began tossing into the air.

The ice-make wizard frowned, watching as Jack stopped for a moment, breathing over his snowball. The color changed as the snow seemed to freeze over, turning an icy blue. "Let's just see how you handle this." Jack said with a smirk. He tossed the snowball at Gray, watching as it collided with his face, blinding him temporarily. That was enough for him to utilize his other ability, an ability that could be used for dark purposes, if someone felt like it. That was why he disliked using unless absolutely necessary. Getting out of a boring magic lesson certainly warranted it though, right? Grinning, Jack found himself looking forward to how Gray would react with this, watching as blue flakes danced around his eyes..

Gray blinked a few times, looking confused at first. That lasted for about a few seconds, until the spell actually set in. "What the—" he began, only for him to stop speaking when the spell began to do exactly as it was meant to do. Pitch had once called it Snow Slave, but Jack disliked thinking of it that way. He wasn't using it to control other people, it was simply a way to bring them a bit of joy and get them to have fun. No one seemed to need that more than Gray, the guy who was always scowling at something from what Jack had seen.

Slowly, Jack watched as Gray's cold expression faded away, his eyes growing wide as a smile began to spread across his face. Jack could almost tell what he would be thinking, that he would be wondering what the heck happened to him to make him feel so giddy. Grinning, Jack began to create another snowball, watching as Gray began to do the same. "Alright, Frost, I'll play your little game. Looks like a snowball fight might be fun after all." Gray commented.

Jack watched as Gray threw a snowball at him, the entire mood of the fight changing. Instead of attacks with powerful spells, they were now having fun, laughing as they each tried to throw more snow at each other. Jack utilized his magic to create snowballs for himself, while Gray was forced to do it the old fashioned way, making them by hand. Apparently, ice-make magic couldn't quite manage snow, so he was not nearly skilled enough against Jack in this battle.

"Come on, Gray, you can do better than that. Actually try to hit me." Jack taunted, watching as Gray smirked, laughing as he made another snow ball to throw at the winter spirit. The ball flew through the air, only for Jack to jump aside at the last second and let it fly into the tree behind him. Grinning, he created dozens of snowballs in the air around him, unleashing them all on Gray at once. The ice-make wizard was immediately buried in snow, while Jack stood over him, victorious.

Believing that he had done enough to convince Gray of his ability, Jack melted away the ice that he had utilized to freeze Gray's darker emotions. Gray seemed to snap out of his happy daze, his smile fading as he stared up at Jack with shock written across his face. "What the hell was that? How the hell….what did you do to me?" he demanded, sounding stunned as he pulled himself out of the snow.

Jack leaned back against one of the trees, shrugging as he gazed at Gray. "Something I picked up back at the Bureau. Pitch claimed it froze your heart or something, but I don't see it that way. It helps freeze dark emotions within you, allowing only happiness and joy to come through. It helps kids have fun, when they need to have it the most." Jack told him, his gaze growing dark as he thought about the last time he had used that spell. It had been so long since he had to use it, since he had found someone in need of fun bad enough to warrant controlling their very thoughts.

Gray shook his head, picking up his shirt and swinging it over his shoulder as he turned to leave the forest they had been practicing in. "Well, whatever it was, that was one hell of a spell. Do that next time Pitch comes for you, and you'll have no problems surviving your next battle." he stated. Jack nodded, glancing away as he thought about Pitch. That was the issue, something was wrong with that man. He had tried, long ago, to do the same thing for the man that held him captive. For some strange reason, Pitch's heart was far too dark to completely freeze over, to allow that joy to come through. Even when it did manage to break free, his sense of joy came from a far darker source, and that was something Jack could never change.

 **Just so you are all aware, I got an idea for later on that will change the timeline of this story just slightly. Jack gained his invisibility/escaped from the Bureau around the year 780 (4 years before Lucy joins the guild), instead of the year 777. This is due to an idea for Pitch and how he came to be who he is in this world. That explanation will be given at the very end of the story, or as a separate one-shot, since it will contain spoilers for the Tartaros arc and possibly the Alvarez Empire arc of Fairy Tail. Ultear was still another subject, but she was present during the years Jack was held captive and managed to escape not long after he gained his invisibility. I know, this isn't entirely cannon, but this story is already slightly AU for Fairy Tail, so I hope you don't mind.**

 **With that out of the way, major thank you to Warmachine375 for the advice last chapter. I hope this one turned out better, and that you are all happy to see that Jack is not learning ice-make magic. Instead, he gets a stronger version of his own magic, partially based on Invel Yura's magic if any of you are aware of him. Credit for that idea goes to Warmachine375, once again, thank you for the help! For those of you that are upset with this change, let me know and I will PM you my unedited draft of Jack learning ice-make magic, though I do believe this chapter turned out better than the original one I had created. Anyone else that has any suggestions or comments, feel free to review and let me know!**


	8. Wind and Winter

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail or ROTG

Jack was getting bored with this group as they began to ride the train back to Fairy Tail, seeing how they just sat around talking rather than doing anything fun. Natsu was collapsed on the seat, clearly having issues with moving, while the others seemed to accept this and move on quickly. "So, are you excited to be a part of Fairy Tail?" Wendy asked him, seeing that Jack was staying out of their conversation. After training with Gray, he had felt himself slip into a dark mood, his mind focused on everything he had just learned from Pitch. It was hard to grasp the fact that his family was gone, without actually seeing them again. Now that he wasn't distracted by his own games, he had nothing to keep his mind off of everything he had lost.

Jack nodded absent-mindedly towards Wendy, gazing out the window with a frown on his face. He knew of others that would give anything to have a family, and for so long, he had been one of those people. He remembered trying to find them just after leaving the Bureau, only to discover that he had no idea where they would be. It would have taken years to search for them, to actually locate the people he had been taken away from so long ago. Perhaps it was better that he hadn't found them, it saved him from the greater heart-ache he would have felt if he had a stronger connection to them.

Wendy frowned slightly, touching his arm. "Is something wrong?" Wendy asked him, trying to help. Erza, Gray, and Lucy were still chatting away cheerfully, discussing what they planned on doing when they got back to the guild. They sounded like they missed their friends back home, like they were already so close together.

He didn't know if he would fit in well around them, even if they did seem to act like overgrown children at times. Jack had never really had the chance to make friends, beyond the other children that had been at the Bureau. "Just thinking." he told Wendy, not wanting to elaborate on his mood. She seemed like such a sympathetic girl, he didn't want to make her sad by weighing her down with his own problems.

Wendy did not seem to like him keeping secrets though, frowning still as she stared at him. "You know, sometimes it helps me feel better to talk to someone about my feelings. I normally try to act strong around my friends….so they don't worry about me. Still, it doesn't mean that I can handle everything alone. I always tell Charle about the things that upset me. It helps having someone to confide in, someone who you aren't afraid of feeling weak around." Wendy stated, sounding rather wise for her age.

Still keeping his gaze on the window, Jack replied. "You don't understand, none of you really can." he stated, while Wendy followed his gaze, moving to sit across from him as they spoke.

"I suppose not, but I just wanted you to know that we're here for you, if you need us. Find someone, even if it isn't someone in Fairy Tail, that you can trust completely and tell them about what upsets you. I think it might help make you feel better, in the end." Wendy continued, while Jack frowned. She did have a point, of sorts, but he still had no idea where to begin. He couldn't reach out to anyone, except children, and he didn't want to bring sadness to their lives with his own problems.

Standing up, Jack decided there was a better way to make himself feel better. He needed a distraction, and this train ride was not going to be enough to do that. "Thanks for the advice, but that's not quite my style. How about I show you what cheers me up?" Jack suggested, giving Wendy a mischievous smirk. Wendy blinked in surprise, glancing at her friends before nodding hesitantly, following after Jack.

He stopped when they got to the front of the car, where a door was available to move onto the next car of the train. This would be the perfect exit, the perfect way to use a power he hadn't had a chance to use in a long time. "Hold on tight, kid, this is going to be fun." he told her, grinning as he grabbed Wendy's hand, pulling her close to him.

"Jack, what are you—" Wendy began, before shrieking when he opened the door and pulled her out with him. She screamed when he jumped off of the train, clearly thinking they were going to hit the ground at high speed. Jack laughed at her reaction, more amused now that he was doing what he did best, playing games with a kid. Once Wendy opened her eyes again, she stared in amazement seeing that they were flying through the sky.

Glancing at the girl that was now clinging to his back, Jack smirked slightly. "So, what do you think? While winter magic is my specialty, I do have a few neat tricks that I can do with the wind." he told her, watching her stare at him with wide eyes.

"This is amazing….it feels like I'm flying with Grandeeney again…" she whispered wistfully, the wind blowing her hair back in the air.

He could see that her smile was fading, remembering her lost parent, and that told him he needed to change tactics. He was doing his best to stay at the same pace as the train, so they didn't get lost, but that didn't mean there weren't other ways of traveling. "No way, kid, I'm not letting you get all broody on a flight with me. We're out here to have a little fun, I'll show you just how that works." Jack told her.

Wendy blinked at him, smiling slowly as he began to fly lower to the ground. "Right. What did you have in mind?" she asked, while Jack laughed, landing and creating a trail of ice in front of them. It would work better if he had something to use as a sled, but skating could be just as fun.

"Come on, let's have a race. I bet I can beat both you and that train to Magnolia!" Jack insisted, watching Wendy shake her head at him, smiling.

"You're almost as crazy as Natsu. We can't outrun a train, even if we are sliding on ice." Wendy stated, as Jack used his wind to push her along the ice. They were both skating on the ground now, Wendy slightly unsteady at first as she figured out how to balance on the ice he had created.

Turning back towards Wendy, Jack raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh yeah? Well, let's just see who's right then. You've got wind magic, too, that's how you gain enough speed to keep up with something like this." Jack told her, watching her frown in confusion.

"My magic doesn't work like that….it isn't like yours…." she commented, while Jack shook his head.

"Figure out how to be creative with it, kid. That's how you have fun with magic, even if you can't do a lot with it. Think of what you know, and figure out which spell can give you a speed boost." Jack told her, still keeping her by his side while she thought.

Wendy nodded, looking determined as she turned around, facing the back end of the train. Jack really didn't know what this kid could do, beyond sky magic from what he had heard. Still, it would be interesting to see what she had in mind. "Okay, I'll do my best." she insisted, inhaling deeply before releasing her spell. "Sky Dragon's Roar!" she yelled, a massive stream of wind trailing from her mouth. Jack blinked in surprise as it propelled her backwards, flying past him and the train with ease.

Grinning, Jack decided the race was on as he skated towards her, watching as she began to struggle with her balance at such a high speed. Her wind stopped blowing as she began to slide out of control, falling over while Jack laughed in amusement. "Nice try, kid. Come on, I'll help you this time." Jack told her, watching as she stood back up. While they had passed the train originally, it was quickly beginning to pass them again. If they didn't get moving, they really would be stranded out here.

Seeing this, Wendy nodded at Jack, trust in her eyes. It felt odd, having someone he hardly knew trust him so much. Maybe it was part of how everyone was in this guild, or perhaps it was simply part of Wendy's personality. Either way, it made him want to keep her happy, to feel as if he had earned that trust. Maybe he really should take her advice and open up to someone, find a friend that would be by his side at all times.

Faces flashed in his mind at that thought, faces of the children he had abandoned when he escaped the Bureau. It made him feel guilty, upset with himself for not trying harder to get all of them out. Shaking his head, Jack quickly abandoned that trail of thought, wanting this time to be fun and happy, not brooding and dark. "Ready?" Wendy asked Jack, staring at him as he nodded. Even if he had let them down, he made a new promise to himself. He was not going to do the same to Wendy, the girl that trusted him so easily. Her kind personality was one that he wanted to preserve, along with her innocence about the world around her.

"Sky Dragon's Roar!" Wendy yelled again, taking off once more to catch up to the train that had passed them just moments ago. Jack flew right behind her, easily able to keep up with her speed in the air. When she began to wobble again, about to slide and fall, Jack grabbed her arms and held her up, sliding on the ice with her as she propelled them both past the train.

"Keep it up, Wendy. Looks like we're gonna win this race." Jack told her, watching as Wendy glanced at the train in surprise. It was moving quickly, but Wendy and Jack were far faster when they combined both of their spells. Jack's wind kept them balanced and light on their feet, while Wendy's spell pushed them along the icy path he had created.

Within just a few moments, Jack noticed the change in scenery around them. They were no longer in the countryside, where bushes and trees were the only possible collisions. They had arrived in Magnolia, and they both realized the problem at the same time. They could not stop as easily as they had started, with the speed they were traveling at. Buildings surrounded them, as did people who were unaware of Jack's presence.

Wendy saw this, closing her eyes and huddling close to Jack as she tried to stop, nearly falling in the process before Jack caught her. "Alright, hang on tight, Wendy. I'll keep you safe, this is gonna be fun." Jack told her, smirking as he began to alter his trail of ice. It dictated where they traveled, with him altering the direction of the wind to assist their path.

Wendy and Jack found themselves weaving between people on the sidewalks, as people jumped out of the way in surprise at the girl moving at high speeds on ice that seemed to come from no where. Jack was laughing as Wendy peeked her eyes open slightly, realizing that they weren't hitting anything. "Way to go, Jack! Um…can you stop us, though?" she asked, while Jack shrugged, not too concerned. The wind wasn't quite as forceful anymore, so they would slow down eventually. He just had to keep Wendy free from harm until then.

"Who cares? Isn't this fun?" he asked her, watching Wendy slowly begin to nod, smiling over at Jack as she began laughing along with him.

"I guess it is! Go that way, that's where Fairy Tail is!" Wendy told him, pointing towards where the guild hall was. Jack nodded, listening to her request as he altered their path. People were still staring at them like they were insane, muttering about crazy Fairy Tail wizards, but neither of them cared at the moment. They were having too much fun to bother with how others saw them.

When they arrived at the doors of the guild, they had slowed down considerably. Wendy smiled as she blew a burst of wind towards the doors, opening them so they could slide right into the guild. The ice stopped suddenly when they got inside, since Jack decided it was probably time to stop their little game. Wendy stumbled a bit at the sudden stop, while Jack reached out to catch her. Her eyes were wide and she was breathing hard, but there was joy on her face. "Hey, Jack?" Wendy stated after she caught her breath, seeing that the winter spirit was gazing around the guild with curiosity.

He turned towards her, wondering just what she wanted to know now. "I think I like your way of cheering yourself up. Do you think…we can play again tomorrow?" Wendy asked hesitantly, sounding rather shy and cute. Jack smiled brightly at her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders casually as he did so.

"Sure thing, kid. Let's go find the other kids and start a big snowball fight tomorrow." he told her, watching Wendy's eyes light up, eager for another game. "Besides, I think I've got some stuff to get off my chest anyway. Didn't you say I needed someone to confide in?" he told her, watching her gasp as she realized what he was saying. If she was going to blindly trust in him, he owed her something in return. This girl was so innocent, he couldn't see her hiding anything from anyone. It made him want to open up to her, even if he hardly knew her. Keeping Wendy happy was going to be one of his main focuses in this guild, he decided. After all, he always had more fun with people closer to the age he had been frozen at, preserving his child-like mindset even if he had the intelligence of someone far older.

 **I've got some time off from work this week, so I have time to get you an update sooner! I hope you like this little bonding between Wendy and Jack, I kind of realized I left it out in my original outline for this story. This is why I typically don't try for pairings, I struggle with finding moments to create trust between characters. Either way, I had fun writing this, so I hope you don't mind my struggles with writing romance. Feedback will be much appreciated, if I do anything too unbelievable, let me know.**


	9. Fairy Tail's Newest Member

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail or Rise of the Guardians

Not long after Jack's time with Wendy, the others returned to Fairy Tail to introduce Jack to the guild. He fit in pretty well, after using a snowstorm inside the guild itself to make himself seen. As crazy as it was, it had worked, and now, he had the interest of many other members. Few had seen a wizard like him, so it wasn't all that surprising. By the time the week had ended, their interest still hadn't quite died off and Jack was still found playing games with them at the guild. Lucy was beginning to wonder if he would ever take a job for once, but for some reason, the idea of that didn't sit well with her. It just didn't mix with her idea of who Jack Frost was, so maybe it was better that he was like this, only playing around with people within the guild rather than going out on jobs. He spent far more of his time going out with Wendy and playing with the children in Magnolia, and for some reason, Lucy decided it suited him quite well.

Currently, Lucy was sitting at the counter with Mira, watching over the guild members with a smile on her face. The winter spirit had made it snow in the guild hall for a bit yet again, ignoring the fact that if anyone outside saw this they'd think this guild was nuts. Once he was finished building up a decent pile of snow, the winter spirit smirked mischievously at the other members, making a snowball in his hand and tossing it casually into the air. "Well, he seems to be fitting in just fine." Mira commented, smiling over at Jack as he started a snowball fight with the guild members.

Lucy watched with amusement, seeing it quickly escalate into a battle involving almost everyone in the guild. Jack was laughing, throwing snow at everyone as he nimbly ran around the crowd. Elfman was trying to prove his manliness, throwing chairs as well as snow at guild members. Gray and Natsu were butting heads again, fighting each other before Erza came in and slammed them together, knocking both of them unconscious as she joined the fray. "Yeah, I guess he does. Did Master agree to let him join the guild?" Lucy asked, watching Mira begin to clean off some of the glasses behind the counter.

"Of course he did. Makarov is always happy to take in new members, you know that pretty well yourself." Mira stated, while Wendy joined them to avoid getting involved in the battle that had started. Lucy finally spotted Jack's guild mark now, on his ankle in a dark blue color just like Gray's. It fit him, but she wondered why he put it so close to his feet. Wouldn't his shoes cover the mark? Then again, Lucy had yet to see the guy wear any shoes, so maybe it was just fine.

"I'm really glad Jack is part of the guild now. He seems happy here." Wendy stated, smiling as she watched Jack laugh and play with the other guild members. Lucy realized that Jack was probably one of the few members close to her age now. Romeo was one of the only other kids here, so Wendy had very few people to relate with.

"Oh? He is kind of cute, isn't he? I think he might like you, Wendy." Mira commented, playing matchmaker once more. Lucy groaned, remembering the time Mira suggested that Natsu liked her. It had lead to dangerous daydreams, only for her to learn that Natsu really didn't see her as anything other than a friend. Maybe she had considered the possibility of a relationship like that once, but now Lucy knew it would never happen. Natsu was just not that type of guy, he didn't really see girls that way at all.

Wendy blushed slightly, shaking her head in disagreement. "No, I didn't mean it like that! I mean…he's a bit older than me….and I'm still too young…" she mumbled, clearly uncomfortable now. Lucy smiled over at her, wondering if Wendy really did like Jack. The two of them seemed to get along well, and even if she was young, Lucy could see them becoming a cute couple when they were older. For now, it would probably just be small things like holding hands and talking, but Lucy knew that it was amazing to watch small relationships like that grow into something more.

"Age isn't that big of an issue for you two. He's only two years older, considering the fact that he was frozen in ice for years. I'm sure you two would get along just fine." Lucy stated, only making Wendy's blush deepen. Maybe Lucy should stop pushing this, but after years of hearing everyone try and push her and Natsu together, she was happy to see someone else receiving this kind of attention. Lucy didn't want her love life to be the focus of the guild, not when it was supposed to be private.

"Please, I just want to be his friend. He's so sweet and fun to be around, I don't want him to be sad anymore." Wendy stated, trying to get out of this situation. Lucy understood her attempts all too well, so she decided to drop the subject. Mira would probably have more to say on it later, but at least one person would be here to change the subject for now.

"Alright, Wendy. Hey, Mira, do you know where Levy is? I wanted to ask her about something when we got back." Lucy asked, turning back to the bartender. The fight behind them was calming down slightly, as was the noise. Jack was one of the few left standing, his hair wet from snow that was now melting in the heat of the guild. Juvia was watching from the shadows, fawning over Gray as usual who was shirtless and running a hand through his hair to clear away any remaining snow. Apparently, he had recovered from Erza's hit as had Natsu, who was getting back up himself.

"She should be around. Team Shadowgear hasn't picked up many jobs lately. I think they're jealous of Gajeel, he's been spending a lot of time with Levy lately." Mira gossiped, looking excited about the news. Lucy pictured Levy and Gajeel together in her mind, before shuddering at the idea of that relationship. Yes, there was some chemistry between the two, but the image was strange. Gajeel leaning against Levy, using her head as an armrest. It wasn't exactly the image of romance Lucy had in mind, regardless of how protective Gajeel had become of her friend.

"Gajeel, leave me alone for once! You don't need to follow me to the library, I can take care of myself, you know." Levy complained, walking into the guild with the iron dragon slayer behind her. Lucy smiled, watching Gajeel huff in response, his arms crossed over his chest as they joined everyone inside. It didn't seem like much had changed, Levy was still irritated with Gajeel who didn't understand how to express any emotions.

The solid script wizard walked away from the overbearing dragon slayer, smiling as she saw Lucy back in the guild. "Lucy, it's been so long since I've seen you! I see you're back from your job in Garnelia City, how'd it go?" Levy asked, joining Lucy and Wendy by the counter with Mira. The blue haired girl sat down next to Lucy, happy to catch up with her friend for the first time in a while. Gajeel scowled at them before sitting down at a table alone, pulling out some iron to snack on as conversations picked up once more within the guild hall.

"Fine, we brought back a new guild member even. You know the story of the Winter Spirit? Apparently, he's real and now he's a part of Fairy Tail." Lucy explained, watching Levy's eyes light up in amazement. This was one of the few people in the guild that Lucy thought was normal. Even if Levy loved books and learning, she wasn't that abnormal like the guy with a stripping habit or Natsu with his destructive nature.

"Really? I don't see anyone new…." Levy said after a few moments of gazing around the guild. Jack noticed her gaze and walked over to them, waving at Lucy as he joined them. With a smile, snow began to fall once more in the guild. While most of his friends didn't mind the drop in temperature, Cana let out a complaint that her booze was beginning to freeze over. Even so, Jack didn't stop until Levy's eyes lit up in surprise, seeing the white haired boy in front of her. "Wow, that's amazing! You really can only be seen in the winter then? I wonder just how that works…maybe some curse or blessing from ancient times….I need to research more on this!" she stated, looking excited to learn more about him.

"Uh…sure. Anyway, I'm Jack, the newest member of Fairy Tail." Jack told her, smiling and holding his hand out to shake hers. Levy did so, but Jack was distracted by a snowball hitting the back of his head. Cana was the thrower, this time looking forward to seeing another battle begin within the guild. "Looks like you guys wanna go again! I'm all in then, get ready for some real fun!" Jack yelled out, making snowballs on the ground in front of him to begin throwing at the guild members. Lucy laughed at the sight of everyone getting dragged into a snowball fight once more, just like before.

"I wanna play too! Charle, let's go!" Wendy said, smiling as she joined the snowball fight. As long as it didn't get too violent, Lucy thought she'd be fine. Lucy smiled at the sight of the kid actually getting the chance to play with others, something that rarely happened around the guild lately. It was normally fights, either for fun or to defend the guild. It was nice to see Wendy getting a chance to be a kid once more, smiling as she threw snow at Jack who laughed and began to prepare a counter attack.

"Yeah, about Jack….he told us that he was experimented on by the Bureau of Magical Development. We want to find them, to stop them from taking more children away from their homes. They are already after Jack again and they even threatened all of Fairy Tail if we got in their way." Lucy explained to Levy, who blinked in surprise. Even Lucy had heard of the group, even if it was only vague details. The organization was supposed to specialize in helping people develop their magic. If any issues happened with wizards, the Bureau could help fix them, cure any ailments that might have been caused by improper development of magical abilities.

Levy grew serious, staring over at Gajeel who had just been dragged into the snowball fight. He was ignoring the rules, using his dragon slaying magic to punch anyone who got too close and yelling at people who threw snow at him in anger. "This isn't good. There are quite a few powerful mages in the Bureau of Magical Development. I've heard rumors about these experiments happening…but this is the first time any of them have been confirmed. It would explain Jack's near invisibility, and his incredibly strong magical energy. I have a book on them back in my room, would you mind coming with me to get more details?" Levy asked, turning towards Lucy who nodded, her smile fading as she thought about the seriousness of this battle.

They left the chaos of the guild, walking towards Levy's room which was not too far away from the guild hall in the first place. Lucy walked inside, her eyes seeing the sight of a ton of bookshelves everywhere. Even where there were no shelves, books were scattered. On the desk by her bed, on the floor, on the chair by the desk, books could be seen. Even on the bed itself was a stack of them, one propped open that she had probably been reading before leaving to the library with Gajeel. "Sorry about the mess, I tend to sort through the books once a month to get rid of any obsolete information and replace it with newer titles. I was just starting today, which was why I was going to the library earlier." Levy explained, walking over to one of the shelves.

"I wish I had this many books. I don't have enough jewel to purchase so many, though." Lucy said, a bit wistfully. She was still working on writing her own novel, but reading was another passion of hers. Even if she wasn't as into learning as Levy, Lucy loved reading stories that took her to another world. She especially loved romance novels, though she wouldn't tell anyone else that. If anyone at the guild found out, she would be ridiculed for sure and if Mira found out….well, Lucy could already see how the white haired mage would react. Mira would be back in matchmaker mode, pushing Lucy off on any single wizard in the guild.

"Here it is, the Bureau of Magical Development. On the surface, they were known to help wizards recover from magical disorders and diseases, kind of like what Porlyusica does for us. They go a bit deeper into it than she does, though, researching diseases and disorders that even I have never heard of." Levy began, reading from one of the pages within. Lucy sat by her side, glancing at the book with curiosity. This was where Jack grew up, where he learned to use magic. As horrible as it was, Lucy was curious to know what it was like there. "They were actually founded by the Magic Council, in an attempt to understand more about magic and strengthen our abilities with it. It wasn't until later that they became known for their ability to help with curses and other things like that."

Levy read a few more pages, frowning as she got to the next passage. "Hmm…it says here that recently, they were heavily attacked. No name is given and all that it says is that many of their members died during the battle. There isn't much after that, just more details on what they research. It seems like they became much more secretive after that attack, like they don't want anyone knowing too much about them anymore." she explained.

"That doesn't make any sense. Why would a government facility try to keep so many secrets? I mean, I guess it makes sense after seeing Jack, but you'd think that someone else would notice this change in attitude." Lucy commented, frowning slightly. Levy nodded in agreement, staring up at Lucy instead of the book now that she had finished.

"That would be the case, if it was not for the fact that they have the Council backing them up. If you go after them, Lu, you'll likely be making yourself an enemy of theirs. Be careful and make sure you are able to prove that they're guilty of something before you go through with this." Levy explained, frowning slightly. "Remember, this place knows far more about magic than anyone else in the magical community. You have no idea what you might face if you and your friends are truly going up against them. I'd offer to help, but I really don't want to get blacklisted by the Council at the moment. It sounds a bit too crazy for me, but knowing your team, you'll end up going straight to their headquarters for battle."

Lucy nodded in agreement, aware that Natsu would drag her to the Bureau if necessary. Still, there was something else bothering her about this place. Levy stated that the children brought there had issues with their magical abilities, so that left one mystery unsolved. "Why were they interested in Jack, then? He said he was normal before he was taken, that he had a family too." Lucy said, remembering how distraught he had been over learning they were dead. He had seemed so sad, yet Wendy had managed to cheer him up. Lucy smiled, happy that he found at least one person to lean on for support. Wendy was always kind to others, she would be good for Jack here. Lucy could already see them becoming a team of sorts, just like she had become with Natsu when she first arrived.

Levy shrugged, turning the page once more as she continued skimming the book. "Who knows? As I said before, they really do keep a lot of secrets from the public. Little is known about them by anyone outside of the organization. Even their location is a mystery, I'm sorry but it isn't in here. I wish I could be more helpful, Lucy." Levy stated, looking a bit upset. Lucy sighed, patting Levy's shoulder gently to show she wasn't upset with Levy. This was getting complicated to deal with. If even Levy didn't know where these people were, how were they going to help Jack? Lucy didn't know, but she hoped the answer would come soon.

 **So, I'm not that good at writing fluff I realized...thus, this is what our next chapter became instead. I know a lot of you disliked the idea of Jack being in the guild, but I promise, his actions within the guild are not the focus of the story. I have a different plan in mind for the plot, he won't be going out on jobs with Team Natsu. What you see here is the most of what Jack will be doing as a member for this story. Thank you to those that have reviewed and read this story thus far.**


	10. An Old Friend

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Rise of the Guardians or Fairy Tail

Jack knew Lucy had left the guild for a moment, but he was having too much fun to really care. This place was where he belonged, a place where he could finally have friends and people that treated him like family. The snowball fight ended not long after the iron dragon slayer had joined in, taking things way too far and transforming it into an actual battle of wizards. Jack really didn't know many people here yet, but they already accepted him as a part of their family. It was amazing, something he never expected to happen after everything he had gone through.

Jack sat down at a table with Wendy after the snowball fight, watching the girl glance over at the white haired bartender and blush slightly, turning back to Jack. The winter spirit really had no idea what it was about, but there was something going on between those two girls right now. "So, what do you think of Fairy Tail so far?" Wendy asked him, looking interested in his day. She was smiling up at him, the red fading from her cheeks as she spoke.

Jack grinned at her widely, not afraid to tell her how much fun he was having here. "It is awesome! These people know how to have some real fun. It seems like it gets out of hand sometimes, but everyone is so easy going and ready to forgive even after they fight each other to the point of exhaustion." Jack stated, glancing around at the people laughing in the guild. Natsu was hanging out with Gray, surprising Jack since he thought those two acted like rivals most of the time.

Wendy laughed slightly, glancing around with amusement in her eyes. "Well, it might get a bit crazy, but you get used to it. No one will care more for you than your friends in the guild, I've learned that very quickly. Even before I joined Fairy Tail, everyone was so kind to me, helping me smile when I thought I was about to lose everything." Wendy stated, while Jack nodded in response. He really didn't know what to say about that, about her past. Wendy must have gone through a lot of pain, yet she was so good at staying happy and kind to others. She didn't seem like she held grudges against anyone and she welcomed Jack with open arms into the guild.

"I think I am already used to it. This craziness is fun, isn't it? I get that it is a bit intimidating at first, all of these older kids starting fights and everything, but it still doesn't change the fact that it is all just to prove how strong they are. Just take a look at Gray, he keeps insisting everyone has to be able to fight, even though it's better to just relax and have fun. ." Jack commented, remembering his training with the ice-make wizard. Jack still didn't feel comfortable using his magic in that manner, but if necessary, he knew he would use it against Pitch. Even if he failed, that man had to be stopped at all costs.

Wendy glanced over at Charle, who was talking with Happy and Pantherlily in the guild. She smiled slightly, nodding in agreement. "Well, I thought you'd fit in pretty well. You're a lot like them, but you seem gentler in a way. You know when to stop and step back from the fight, rather than continue on. It's part of why I knew I could trust you right away, you seemed to be trying so hard to keep everyone else happy." Wendy stated, keeping her head turned away from him as her cheeks turned pink slightly. Jack could hear Mira giggling behind him, watching their conversation from where she stood.

Jack wasn't really used to receiving compliments like this, in any way. It meant a lot to him, more than he could say. This girl, the girl that had so much kindness in her, thought that he was trustworthy, that he fit in well with the people she considered her family. Staring at her, Jack began to feel a strange sense of warmth towards her. Wendy was just the one person here he couldn't stand to see sad, the one person he knew he had to help. "Wendy, thank you. You have no idea how much hearing that means to me." Jack stated, unsure of what she wanted. Wendy nodded, looking back up at him with a smile.

The winter spirit smiled back at her, feeling like the tension was slowly fading. He realized why Wendy was blushing now, that it reminded him of Lucy when he asked her about Natsu. He must have been a bit blind before, not to see that this kid was starting to have a bit of a crush on him. Jack knew he should probably discourage it, that he was still in danger from the Bureau, but he just couldn't. The idea of being liked by someone, of actually having someone care for him, it meant so much to Jack. He wasn't willing to let it go, even if it was just a kid's first crush and nothing more.

She wasn't really that much younger than he was, when Jack thought about it. She was probably about twelve, maybe thirteen based on what he could tell. Jack already felt connected to her in a way, and he could feel that he was caring for her more. Maybe, he might return her affection one day. Right now, he had other issues to focus on though. "So, what do you want to do while Lucy tries to find out about the Bureau for us? Wanna try going on a job together?" Wendy suggested, pulling the subject away from where it had been going.

Jack was about to refuse, jobs were far too much focus and hard work for him, when the door to the guild burst open, a strange creature on the other side. It was dark and black, horse-like in appearance with golden yellow eyes. Standing behind it, was Pitch Black and another young boy, one Jack had never expected to see again. When he was experimented on, Jack was not the only child there. He had met a few others, ones that were being trained and tested on as well. The boy here now, the one with the golden spiky hair and short stature was one Jack would never forget. "Sandy?" Jack breathed out, shocked to see him.

"So, I see you failed to listen to my warning. Here we are, the very heart of Fairy Tail, protecting one little boy that does not belong here in the first place. His fear is strong, and since I have been unable to bring him back home, I've brought along some help. He is such an obedient child, listening to our every word since he knows that only we can bring him home to his family." Pitch stated, patting Sandy on the back as the boy stepped forward. Jack knew exactly what Sandy was feeling, remembering the day that the experiments took away the kid's voice. Sandy had felt so lost, so alone in the silence of the night when he snuck into Jack's room to talk.

Jack was the one who gave him hope, pointing out that with his sand magic he could just tell his stories using images. Without Jack, Sandy would never have figured out how to communicate with others again. Now, Sandy gave Jack a sad smile, an image of two adults playing with a young boy over his head to explain what he was thinking about. "I know, I understand. I'd never hold this against you, Sandy, I would have done the same thing." Jack told his old friend, watching Sandy nod and create sand whips in his hands.

"Do enjoy my little friend's gift, this will not end until Jack is in our grasp once more." Pitch told them, vanishing into the shadows and fading from sight. The horse creature left with him, while the guild members were standing up and wondering just how one kid could be expected to defeat so many wizards at once. Jack knew exactly how, he had seen Sandy's magic with his own eyes. One of their stupid tests had been to see which of them was stronger, putting Jack into a room with Sandy to face off against each other. With how unwilling they were to participate, they didn't learn much from the event. Jack had created a whiteout blizzard in the room, blocking them from sight while Sandy grinned and simply let his golden sand whirl around in the wind, giving only an illusion of a fight. Sandy had complete mastery over his sand, something Jack admired whenever he saw the guy.

As Jack stared at him now, he knew this fight was going to be serious unlike last time. Sandy's magic was a lot like Gray's, taking form of something created within the mind. The difference was that Sandy was capable of doing so much more with his sand, just like Jack could do with his power over winter. "So, you wanna take on all of Fairy Tail, huh? Well, I'm getting fired up!" Natsu declared, standing up and getting ready for a fight.

"Wait, stay back, Natsu. Sandy….did they promise to return you home if you brought me back?" Jack asked, turning towards his old friend. He was not going to let anyone suffer if he could stop it. Regardless of how badly he wanted to stay here, he was not going to let Sandy lose his one chance to go home. Sandy nodded sadly, glancing up at Jack who turned towards the new friends he had just made. "Well, this sucks. I really thought I was going to get to have some fun here for a bit first. Looks like we've got one last show to put on for the Bureau, though. Are you up for it, Sandy?" Jack asked, feeling someone grab his hand as he moved closer to Sandy.

Jack glanced down, seeing Wendy looking up at him with her wide brown eyes. "Jack, please don't. You're part of our family….part of Fairy Tail. We won't let them take you away!" she pleaded, tears in her eyes. Jack felt pain in his heart, seeing those tears. He never wanted her to be sad, yet he could see similar expressions on the faces of all members of this guild. He hadn't been here for long, yet he already was a part of their guild. This place was somewhere he had planned on calling home, people he planned on being friends with. They all were willing to accept him, and they were so thrilled to have him here, Jack really was sad to leave.

"I know, Wendy, and I won't forget you guys. There's no way they could do that, I promise. Please, try to have some fun while I'm gone. I'd like to imagine you smiling and laughing while I'm back in that place." Jack told her, before he felt her arms wrap around his waist, trying desperately to keep him here. Sandy watched silently, letting him have this moment since his friend realized what was going on. Jack could see that the sand wizard looked conflicted now, not wanting to tear Jack away from this place even for his own family. Sandy even created the image in for Jack, the same image of a family playing together, before forming a question mark for Jack. "Yeah, I did find a family. It is time for you to find yours, though." Jack told Sandy, watching the wizard glance down with a frown. They both wished there was a better solution, but either way one of them would lose today. Jack just wasn't willing to let it be Sandy that lost, not when he knew what that suffering was like.

"I'll miss you, Jack. I promise, we'll find you again and make sure you stay free. You're a part of Fairy Tail and you always will be." Wendy insisted, stepping back with a look of determination on her face. Natsu put a hand on her shoulder, nodding in agreement with a serious expression on his face. Even Gray looked determined, ready to go out and fight for Jack if necessary. With one last smile at them, Jack turned towards Sandy.

"Alright, just like last time?" Jack suggested, watching Sandy nod sadly, his whips vanishing from sight. Jack focused slightly, before snow began to fall one last time within Fairy Tail. Slowly, it picked up, falling harder and faster around him. Guild members shivered in the cold, glaring at Jack for his spell, but that was before it got even worse. Wind blew around the guild hall, and before long no one could see anything in front of them. The winter spirit was careful not to let the temperature fall too much, knowing that he was capable of freezing them where they stood if he wanted to. Jack stepped closer to Sandy, taking his hand with a nod. The sand wizard smiled, letting his golden sand release into the wind, mixing with Jack's snow.

It really was a magnificent sight for those outside of the guild to see. White and gold mixed into one, falling to the ground and scattering in the wind. Jack had loved the sight when they first did it back at the Bureau, and he still loved it now. "Alright, we've got the illusion going. Looks like I've got to lose, though." Jack stated, remembering that last time the overseers of their experiment had stepped in to stop the fight. "Can you still do that other thing with your sand? Knock me out, like you did the guards that came to keep you out of my room?" Jack suggested, remembering how many times Sandy had snuck in. He didn't always avoid getting caught, but he never got in trouble because he had the power to force anyone into a deep sleep. With one last nod, Sandy blew golden sand into Jack's eyes. Immediately, the winter spirit began to feel drowsy, slipping away from reality. He gave Sandy once last smile as he collapsed on the ground, sound asleep with pleasant dreams of fairies and friends.

 **There we are, we finally have another member of the Guardians coming into play. So, what do you think? I have to admit, I always struggle writing Sandy, simply due to the fact that it is hard to write for a character that can't talk. I will do my best to keep the Guardians as close to cannon as possible, but this is still an AU so there will be some slight differences. I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Another announcement concerning updates: I have a lot of stories in progress right now, so updates are going to work a bit differently for my stories. The two of them with the most reviews will be updated weekly, while all others receive monthly updates. As of right now, this story has the most reviews (yay!), so updates will be weekly for now. Keep reviewing if you want to continue with weekly updates.**


	11. Tracking Jack

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail or Rise of the Guardians

When Lucy got back to the guild, she found nothing but disaster everywhere. Tables were flipped over, glasses were shattered and scattered on the ground, and chairs were broken into slivers of wood on the ground. She really had no words to express her horror at the sight, wondering just what could cause so much damage. Even if the guild got a little rowdy, they never caused damage on this scale. Her hand was covering her mouth, her other hand clutched to her chest as she surveyed what remained of the guild.

"Where is that bastard? I'm gonna find him and make him pay!" Natsu yelled, standing up in the wreckage and letting out some of his anger in the form of flames. Lucy watched fire burst out from his hands, not really burning anything, just a form of Natsu venting his anger. Wendy was crying softly, clutching Charle to her chest as she sat on the floor. No one looked like they were in a good mood right now and Lucy wanted to know what was going on.

"What is going on here? Where's Jack?" Lucy asked, hearing Levy gasp from behind her. The solid script mage was just as stunned by the damage taken by the guild, unsure of what to do about it.

Natsu stepped forward, sniffing the air as he did so. "Gone, but we're getting him back. Wendy, help me out, his scent is faint because of all that snow, but I can still smell him." Natsu stated, while Wendy stood up, looking a bit more determined than before.

"Natsu, Wendy, we must think this through. Should we track him down with this method, we will find ourselves in the heart of the Bureau of Magical Development. As much as it pains us, we should wait to take action until we know what we are up against." Erza stated, looking sad yet determined. Natsu stopped, as did Wendy, looking at each other before hanging their heads sadly. Lucy might not have been here for what happened, but she had heard enough to figure out the basics. Jack had been taken away, forced to return to the place he longed to be freed from.

"We don't even know where it is, though! Natsu and Wendy are the only ones that can find Jack for us now, if we want to have any chance of bringing him back, we need to go." Lucy argued, knowing that even Levy had no idea of where to go to find the Bureau. Natsu turned towards her, still looking far too serious about this for him. He was the guy that Lucy always expected to see smiling, no matter how hard things got. Losing Jack had changed the mood throughout the guild. Someone had just made an enemy of Fairy Tail and they were going to pay for harming their friend.

Erza frowned, nodding slightly. "I understand your point, Lucy. Perhaps we can locate their facility and then strategize how to attack." Erza told her, while Lucy nodded. With that, Wendy and Natsu took the cue to start tracking Jack once more. Lucy, Gray, Charle, Erza, and Happy followed after them once they began moving, desperate to find their friend.

"So, what exactly happened at the guild, anyway? It looked like disaster had struck." Lucy asked, turning towards Erza running by her side. The requip mage looked concerned, but she did answer anyway.

"Jack created a massive snowstorm inside, blinding us all. None of us really know what happened, but he seemed to know the enemy he was facing. I believe Jack called him Sandy, if it helps." Erza explained, making Lucy blink in surprise. She had seen Jack's snow, but it was playful and used to make everyone happy before. If he had created a destructive blizzard, Lucy knew something had to have gone wrong. Jack hated the idea of hurting anyone and this would definitely risk harming his guild.

Gray glared in front of him, clearly thoughtful about the situation himself. "Well, he didn't have much of a choice from what I could tell. That kid was able to fight back, even in that massive blizzard. Whatever experiments this Bureau is performing, their results are undeniable. If we end up facing off against more of their subjects, we aren't going to stand a chance." Gray stated, looking a bit concerned.

Lucy wondered just what they were capable of. Jack was one of them, an ice wizard like Gray, and he was capable of creating massive blizzards that stayed strong for years in his sleep. It was a bit intimidating to even think about. Were the others just as strong? Lucy really didn't know enough to say for sure, but she really didn't want to find out either. Fighting against kids that had been tortured like that just wasn't right, Lucy wouldn't be able to really try her hardest against them.

"As long as we are fighting with our friends, anything is possible! This is for Jack, Gray, so stop giving up before you even try!" Natsu yelled back, clearly annoyed with his friend's words. Lucy smiled over at her partner, happy to see he had the right mindset. At least one of them could think positively about this situation, in spite of how dangerous it seemed. For all they knew, Jack could be back in those experiments, almost dying once more for the sake of this organization.

"Right. We'll face them together. After all, they probably don't even want to fight. Once we take down the head of the organization, they'll be free and leave us alone." Lucy stated, feeling confident in her words. If there were others there, they would be like Jack. They would be lonely, desperate for freedom and someone to talk to. Even if they were forced to fight, Lucy knew that they would find a way to hold back and let Fairy Tail win. It was the only chance they had to be freed from this prison, something Lucy felt confident that they could do.

Erza nodded, a small smile on her face. "Natsu and Lucy are right. We must face our opponents with confidence and keep in mind that they are just children. Our focus will be the employees of the Bureau, not their experiments. Avoid the children if possible and focus your battles on the man that really took Jack away, Pitch." Erza stated, knowing the name of Jack's biggest enemy within the Bureau.

Wendy nodded ahead of them, looking just as determined as Natsu. Lucy had never seen the young girl look so angry, she was always gentle and wanting to help from the background. "I'll find him, I promised him that he would always be a part of our family. Please, wait for us, Jack." Wendy stated, looking worried about her friend. Maybe Mira really was on to something with those two, Lucy thought. She was so focused because Jack was in danger, maybe Wendy really did care for him. Lucy glanced towards Natsu as she thought about that, wondering once again if Mira was right about her other suggestion. As crazy as Natsu was, Lucy knew that there was no one else in Fairy Tail that she could rely on as much as him. Natsu was her closest friend and ally, she really didn't know what she would do without him. Lucy gave him a small smile, feeling heat in her cheeks as she blushed at her own thoughts. She really should just give up on these feelings. Natsu didn't see her that way, she was sure of it, so it was best to just focus on being friends with him and enjoy their adventures.

"She liiikes him!" Happy cheered, his usual phrase anytime anyone said something nice about their friend. Wendy's cheeks turned red, but Lucy noticed that she didn't correct the cat. Happy's giggles could be heard, while Charle glared at him for the comment. Lucy smiled slightly, enjoying the thought of her friends getting along so well. Jack really did belong in Fairy Tail, he already felt like part of their team. Lucy knew they would get him back soon, and as they stopped, staring out at a large white building in the middle of the forest, Lucy knew that none of them would give up until they found Jack.

 **So, not much happening in this chapter, I know. I promised a weekly update for the top two stories with the most reviews, and then I get a case of writer's block when I want to keep going. I hope it isn't too bad, for the most part, this chapter is just filler. I am getting a bit more inspired now, thinking about the future of this story, but this chapter just didn't want to be written it seemed. Either way, feel free to review and tell me what you thought, I'll try to do better next chapter.**


	12. Return

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Rise of the Guardians or Fairy Tail

Jack was back. That was really the only thing going through his mind, as it was so much of a disappointment for the winter spirit. This place, with its clean white walls and sanitary smell, he hated it. It restricted all of the people within, forcing them onto a strict schedule of training and experimentation that eliminated all creativity in the minds of children. At least Sandy would be free soon, since Jack was brought back. The winter spirit had woken up alone, in his old room that he could never forget. He had grown up here, with the plain bed and thin blanket, only one desk and chair. It was simple and plain, the room could have belonged to anyone, yet it had never changed once since Jack arrived. He wasn't allowed to personalize his space, it was meant to conform to the Bureau's standards.

Jack leaned down in his bed, staring up at the ceiling as he thought about his brief moments with Fairy Tail. Natsu had been a bit violent, protective of Lucy and worried that Jack would steal her away. Even if it was annoying, since Jack had no interest in the blond wizard, he missed the fire wizard. Natsu had been fun to play with, something he learned when they had their snowball fight together. The dragon slayer's innocence and child-like attitude made it just like playing with real children in a way. He missed Erza's over protective attitude, and the way everyone cowered from her in fear when she was angry. Jack had only seen it once, having witnessed someone throwing snow at her during their battle at the guild, but it was hilarious.

Most of all, Jack found himself missing Wendy. The small dragon slayer with kind brown eyes, that had reminded him so much of his sister at first. That girl was the first one to suggest joining the guild, the one that helped cheer him up when he thought he had lost everything. Wendy had experienced pain and loss in her past, but she did not let it keep her down today. Jack admired her strength, the way she was able to keep her friends in high spirits with her kind words and gentle nature. The winter spirit closed his eyes, swallowing as he realized he probably wouldn't see any of them ever again. Maybe he should have told Wendy how much she meant to him before he left, but now it was too late.

The winter spirit heard his door open, making him open his eyes and sit up in surprise. Normally, only Sandy snuck around at night, occasionally bringing other kids with him. Jack had expected no more visits from others with him gone, but it seemed like he was wrong. Sandy stood in the doorway, with three others behind him. Last time Jack had been here, they had all been children, but Jack could see that they had grown into adults. Nicholas North was taller, and apparently he had grown a massive beard while Jack was away. Aster, or Bunny as many of them nicknamed him, was even taller than North, thin and with blue tattoos making strange patterns on his arms. He was a bit surprised to see his more recent change, however. The Bureau had attempted to implant a powerful lacrima to grant him powerful takeover magic along with his own abilities. The result had been one successful takeover, which was now stuck on him. Jack normally would have found it amusing, the giant rabbit in front of him kind of looked like a kangaroo if you considered the guy's accent, but their situation was not bright enough for laughter.

Tooth was just barely taller than Sandy, her violet eyes bright and happy as she entered. Jack was also surprised by her appearance, likely a side effect of whatever experiment they put her through. He could see feathers growing within her hair, mostly blue and green, but there was some yellow scattered as well. Her typical light brown hair was now littered with them all over, and Jack knew that they would both miss being normal, just like he had when his hair had turned white and eyes became blue.

"Sandy? I thought they were sending you home." Jack stated, watching the man shake his head sadly, looking lost and disappointed. Jack watched him create the image of his family once more, watching as it faded away in Sandy's hand and was replaced with a broken heart. "No…they broke their promise? Pitch is going to pay for this….he's not going to get away with forcing you to live here like this." Jack growled, angry with the head of the Bureau. It was a piece of information he had kept hidden from the others, the fact that Pitch lead everyone here. It had only really started after Ultear's escape, something he had noticed briefly during his time gone.

He had tried to come back for the others, just once, only to discover chaos and destruction everywhere. A young girl, Ultear, had been fighting her way free, leaving most of the researchers dead in her wake, destroying nearly everything inside of the building. Pitch had been one of the few survivors of that attack, and he used his power to ensure that the few remaining subjects remained in place. With his position now as head of this facility, he could do whatever he wanted to them, and no one could stop him. Jack had done his best to forget about what he saw that day, to forget about how a life in this place could lead to so much pain and darkness if you didn't find something bright to focus on.

"Jack, it is so good to see you again. We've missed you so much." Toothiana stated, walking forward and giving the winter spirit a hug. Jack patted her back awkwardly, knowing Tooth was a person that loved getting into people's personal space. She felt like she needed it, after years of scientists showing so few signs of affection to her. Unlike the other children, Tooth had actually been born here, a child of one of the other subjects that was no longer here. Tooth was desperate for love, so she ended up hugging all of her friends almost every time they saw each other. Jack didn't mind at all, he knew they all had issues after being locked away for so long here.

Tooth stepped back after a moment, blushing sheepishly as she realized that she was overreacting again. "Pitch is why we are here. He must be stopped, and only you know of the outside world. Perhaps we can make a plan, find a place for us beyond the walls of this prison." North suggested, glancing towards Jack who nodded, his mind going straight to Fairy Tail. They would all have a place to go if they got free, Jack knew they would. Fairy Tail would take them all in, treat them like the family they all needed so badly. Even if they didn't use the guild for jobs like normal wizards to go on jobs, they could still find friends and recover from their time in this place.

"I know where we can go, but stopping Pitch is going to be almost impossible. As strong as we are, Pitch is even stronger." Jack told them, remembering the darkness that had trapped him for so long. "He managed to get the best of me when I was outside the facility, before Sandy brought me back. While I know a bit more of what to expect, it isn't going to be easy even with all of us fighting together." Jack added, watching worry grow on their faces. Jack was always the pessimist in this group, the one without hope for escaping or getting out of the facility. Bunny would tease him constantly for it, but maybe they realized the truth in his statement this time.

Sandy touched Jack's arm, looking concerned and sad. "Don't worry, Sandy. I'm not mad at you, I would do anything to have my family back. Unfortunately, that's not an option anymore though…." Jack murmured, feeling sad once more as he thought about that paper. He wished Wendy was here again, just to cheer him up and tell him to have hope. He knew that it was what she would want, but without the sky dragon slayer here, Jack just couldn't pull it off. That was before he pictured her face as he left, the tears in her eyes as Jack stepped closer to Sandy. Wendy would be so sad if he never came back, she would miss him. Jack could not let her stay sad, not if he could do something about it. With a deep breath, Jack's expression hardened and he began to try and act the way Wendy would want him to. She would want him to have hope, to keep moving forward instead of looking back.

"Hey, what's up, mate? You thought of something?" Bunny asked, noticing the change in Jack. The winter spirit shook his head, but he did continue to stare at the door. There had to be a way to win. They were up against the guards of the Bureau, who were weak overall, but they had special tools designed to incapacitate Jack and his friends. The shocks delivered from those tools were so familiar, reminiscent of the shocks he felt from the magic boosting experiments he was given. One touch from them and Jack would be on the floor, in too much pain to use his magic. Sheer numbers made it hard to avoid all of them, even if Jack and his four friends were together for the escape.

Maybe Fairy Tail would come for him, Jack thought. Natsu had seemed pretty upset over Pitch's words, and Sandy's actions. He wouldn't put it past the dragon slayer to try taking down the Bureau. As Jack was thinking about this, the door to his room burst open and revealed a hoard of guards on the other side, stunning them all. Sandy prepared a shot of his dream sand, but it was a bit too late. They came forward and shoved strange bracelets onto all of them, locking them in place. Jack's was a bit different from the others, probably designed to withstand cold better than the others. Even so, he tried as hard as he could to shatter it just like everything else, freezing it beyond what anyone else could do. The ice would build on the device, but no matter how cold it got, the material simply would not break.

Pitch stepped in just moments after the bracelets were on, smiling over at them. "Good evening, children, I thought I might find you here. The big five, all together once more, such a brilliant sight to see. It almost brings a tear to my eye." he stated, looking amused at the sight. Sandy glared at him, about to throw his sand at Pitch when his mouth opened wide and he collapsed on the ground, his magic dissolving instantly. Jack rushed to his side, noticing something lit up on the bracelet now on Sandy's wrist.

"Ah, that's better. As you can see, those bracelets are a new technology of ours, developed after we learned of the escape of Jack Frost. They will keep you obedient, any signs of attack or hostility will result in a shock that will render you defenseless. Removing those cuffs requires something rather important, specifically the key in my hand. Please, be good children now and return to your rooms. I would hate to put you through more pain than necessary." Pitch told them, sending waves of horror through Jack.

There was really no way for them to escape now. They were Pitch's puppets, his pawns in this game he was playing. If Fairy Tail was coming to save them, they would be in for a surprise. Jack had no doubt in his mind that Pitch was going to use them as soldiers, pitting them against the people Jack had begun to think of as friends. He hoped they didn't come, now. Jack did not want to fight his friends, not like this. As the others left, Jack collapsed back down on his bed, his gaze on the bracelet he wore. Once again, he did his best to destroy the thing he now wore. As hard as he tried, he could not cool it enough to make it brittle, and his own strength was not enough to take it off. If Fairy Tail really did come, he would have to fight them. Jack began to cry silently, his eyes closed as his one brief moment of hope faded away and he lost any chance of freedom in one night.

 **So, now we've got a bit more going on. I hope you enjoyed, though I will admit this chapter wasn't too cheerful. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!**


	13. Finding Hope

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Rise of the Guardians or Fairy Tail

Lucy knew immediately when she saw the building that staying together was not going to be an option. There was just too much ground to cover, too many rooms that could possibly contain Jack. "It looks like we must split up." Erza stated as they walked inside, already encountering a spot where the halls went two directions. They had already taken out a few of the guards with ease, but Lucy knew it would get harder once they were deeper inside. Then, they would find the mages of the Bureau and face off against them. "Natsu and Lucy, you go that direction with Happy. Gray, Wendy, and Charle, you're with me." Erza ordered, nodding at her companions before turning to leave. "We will meet back here once we have found Jack and taken care of Pitch." Erza ordered, confident in their ability to succeed.

"Aye sir!" Happy cheered, eager to find Jack just like everyone else. Natsu grabbed Lucy's hand, squeezing it gently and surprising the celestial mage. He really was trying to keep her spirits up, she realized. With a slight smile, he began walking down the hall with Lucy, who was left confused once more about Natsu's true feelings for her. Holding her hand, that could be just a friendly gesture of comfort, right? Lucy really didn't know, she hadn't had a lot of luck with boyfriends in the past to be sure. Shaking her head, Lucy decided she needed to focus on the mission first, then decide what was going on with her and Natsu.

"Lucy, we'll find him and bring him back. He's a member of Fairy Tail and we always protect our friends." Natsu told her, frowning as they came to yet another split in the hall. "Come on, how many hallways are there in this place!" Natsu complained, glaring at the sight. Lucy laughed slightly at his attitude, before squeezing his hand back like he had done for her just moments ago. Natsu glanced down at her, calming down as his determined expression softened slightly. "Be careful, Lucy. I'll see you soon, and then we're going to go out and celebrate our victory!" Natsu told her, touching her cheek gently as Lucy began to blush.

Okay, maybe she wasn't imagining things. Natsu's opinion of her really had changed, she just didn't realize when. That was going to be weighing on her mind for the rest of the mission now. "Alright, looks like I'm going this way." Lucy said after a few moments, watching Natsu run down the other hall with Happy flying behind him. Part of her wondered if Natsu wanted to do more than just touch her cheek, but it was not the time to think about that. "Come on, Lucy, get him out of your head! We're in a dangerous situation here, it is not the time for fantasizing!" she told herself, smacking her cheeks to try and clear her head.

Lucy sighed and closed her eyes, realizing that it was pointless. Why did Natsu have to do that just moments before leaving? She couldn't get it out of her head and she was desperate to talk to him again now. Lucy glanced up, opening her eyes again and blinking in surprise. Someone was in the hall with her, at least, she thought it was a person. It looked like a massive bunny with green eyes and blue-gray hair. She could see strange tattoos on his arms, that he currently had crossed over his chest. On one of his wrists was a silver bracelet, locked on tightly with a small keyhole that appeared to release it.

"You're one of Jack's friends, huh? Well, sorry about this then, sheila, but I don't have much of a choice in the matter." the boy stated, before tapping his foot on the ground. Lucy watched in shock as a massive hole opened up, reminding her almost of her own spirit, Virgo. Realizing that this was the start of a fight, Lucy reacted quickly.

"Open, Gate of the Maiden, Virgo!" she yelled, summoning the very spirit that this wizard seemed to mimic. As Virgo was summoned, the kid showed up right behind her and kicked Lucy across the room, sending her flying into Virgo. Both of them continued forward, eventually slamming into the wall on the other side.

"Is this my punishment, princess?" Virgo asked, while Lucy glared over at her spirit. Why did she make the strangest comments when it was obvious she was needed?

"No, I need you to beat this wizard!" Lucy ordered, while Virgo nodded and faced Bunny.

"As you wish. I will do my best." Virgo stated, while Bunny smiled over at her.

"Huh, fighting against two girls. Man, this seems a bit rude, but there's no way I'm letting Pitch shock me again. Name's Bunny, by the way, and I specialize in teleportation magic. Hope you're ready to handle it." he told them with a grin, before jumping into yet another hole on the ground.

Virgo looked determined, tunneling below ground as well and creating massive holes that, unlike Bunny's, didn't vanish after used. "I'm sorry, Princess, I seem to have lost him." Virgo stated, while Lucy wondered just how to face this man. Bunny appeared behind her yet again, throwing Lucy across the room as Virgo rushed to catch her owner. "Princess, are you alright? It seems that I am ill-suited to this task." Virgo stated, glancing up at Bunny.

Lucy watched the boy carefully, realizing that even though she was being thrown around, she wasn't being hurt. Bunny didn't want to fight her, not really. He was just a slave to that cuff, she realized. It was how he was being controlled, and Pitch probably had the key. "Virgo, return. Bunny, please, I want to help you. I don't want to keep fighting, we came here to help Jack and all of his friends." Lucy pleaded, while Bunny stared at her sadly.

"Sorry, sheila, as I said before, I don't have a choice. Pitch has us all under his thumb, with the help of these little things. Now that he's got these on us, there is no hope. All of it…it's gone." he said sadly, before disappearing again for the battle.

Lucy understood his methods a bit better now, even if she couldn't quite figure out where those tunnels went. She knew he would appear right next to her, either to punch or kick her across the room. Pulling out her whip, Lucy prepared to counter his attack however she could. She saw him and moved almost immediately, lashing out with her whip and watching as it wrapped tightly around his arm. Lucy pulled hard, dragging Bunny to the floor as his eyes went wide at her attack.

"Crikey, you're tougher than you look. Well, I guess it is time to pull out my big guns." Bunny commented as he was dragged across the ground. Lucy watched him pull a boomerang out from a sheath behind his back, throwing it at her. Lucy shrieked and lost her grip on the whip, ducking as the weapon flew over her head. She stood back up, only to be hit by the boomerang on its way back to Bunny. She fell to the ground, groaning and rubbing the back of her head as she picked her whip back up, noticing that Bunny had freed himself.

"Well, if you're doing that, then I suppose I should bring out one of the strongest spirits in my collection. Open, Gate of the Lion, Leo!" Lucy yelled, calling out the leader of the zodiac spirits. She watched him appear, in his normal suit and glasses as he smiled and stared down her enemy.

"Lucy, I knew you would call on me. Allow me to take down your enemy and prove my love to you!" he declared, making Lucy feel a bit uncomfortable. She really needed to find some normal spirits, hers were all crazy. Then again, she loved them all anyway so it wasn't too terrible. "Regulus Impact!" Loke yelled, sending a wave of golden magic towards Bunny. The kid was sent flying back, groaning from Loke's magic as he sat up and frowned at the newcomer to the fight.

"Loke, go for the bracelet! Once that is gone, he will be free to help us." Lucy ordered, watching Loke nod in agreement. He rushed forward, moving quickly as he closed in on Bunny. The mage noticed Loke's approach and used his tunnels once more, vanishing from sight. Lucy watched as Loke closed his eyes, trying to sense the mage's presence by searching for magical energy. It didn't take long for Bunny to be located, just moments before he resurfaced by Loke. The spirit moved quickly, slamming his fist into the cuff on Bunny's wrist after empowering it with his celestial magic.

"That should do it. Now, feel the power of the stars and be freed!" Loke ordered, while Bunny gasped as the cuff cracked and fell off. He stopped fighting immediately, rubbing his wrist as he stared over at Lucy in gratitude.

"Thank you, sheila. I owe you one." Bunny commented, still rubbing his wrist as he grew thoughtful for a moment, hesitating on his next action. With a sigh, he continued speaking to Lucy, deciding just what he wanted to do. "Now, let's go find the others and take down Pitch. If he realizes I'm free, we'll all be in a load of trouble." Bunny stated, looking proud of Lucy's abilities. The celestial mage nodded in agreement, happy to help out her new friend. With one last nod towards Loke, her spirit vanished and she helped Bunny get up. She hoped her friends weren't having too much trouble with these experiments like she did. After all, their true enemy was Pitch and the Bureau, not their experiments. As they continued on, Lucy began to feel hopeful for what was about to come. If she could free Bunny, then she could free all of them. With a smile, she moved down the hall towards her final battle with Pitch.

 **Ugh, I struggled a bit with this chapter. I've always had problems including enough details for battle scenes, it is part of why I keep writing them on this site. I need to improve, thus feedback is necessary to help with that. Hopefully, I'll do better with the next few chapters, because after reading over this one and editing a few times, I'm not seeing much improvement from when I first realized I had this issue. Anyways, feedback is welcome, if you have any advice on what I can do to improve, it would be much appreciated!**


	14. Good and Bad Memories

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail or Rise of the Guardians

Erza, Wendy, and Gray continued walking on their own, not really sure of where they were going. "Man, this place is huge. How much longer until we find Jack?" Gray asked, turning to Wendy whose dragon senses should be able to detect them. She was a bit concerned with where they were going, knowing that Jack's scent was weaker in this direction. Jack must have been down the other hall, but Wendy could tell that others were over here. Someone had to help them too, so even if she couldn't help Jack, she could do this for him.

"Jack is probably down the hall Natsu and Lucy went down. His scent is weaker this direction…but there are others this way." Wendy explained, before they all stopped, once again blocked by a split in the hall. There were three directions to go now, straight, left, or right. Erza stared at them, grimacing slightly as she glanced towards Wendy. The dragon slayer knew she was the weakest fighter here, but she was not going to give up, not when Jack's life was on the line. She would fight too, no matter how tired she got.

"This isn't good. I do not like the idea of splitting our numbers so thin. It could be a trap." Erza stated, studying the halls carefully. Gray shrugged, not looking too concerned with the idea. He was ready for a fight, just like Natsu was right now. Wendy knew that this was going to be hard, but there was no other choice. To ensure that they found Pitch, they had to go their separate ways once more.

"We'll be okay, Erza. I'll have Charle with me, and I know I'll be strong enough to win for Jack." Wendy said confidently, watching the requip mage nod in agreement. Wendy began to walk straight ahead, while Erza went left. Gray took the remaining path, waving goodbye to her as she was left on her own. "Well, looks like it's just us now, Charle." Wendy stated, feeling a bit nervous. It had been a while since she fought on her own. Missions were always easier with her friends by her side, but Wendy knew how to be strong when she needed to be.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Charle stated, making Wendy glance down at her companion. Charle was known for her premonitions, so if she felt like something was coming, Wendy needed to be prepared. Keeping that in mind, Wendy decided it was better to be safe then sorry, so she got ready for a fight.

"Enchantment: Arms, Armor, Vernier!" she yelled, increasing her own strength, defense, and speed. It wasn't much, but it was something that would help in the upcoming battle. As she glanced around the hall nervously, Wendy finally spotted the source of Charle's uncertainty. A girl stood across from her, with light brown hair that had feathers growing within it. Her violet eyes looked sad and pained, but as she touched a silver cuff on her wrist, they grew slightly more determined.

"I'm sorry, I don't want to fight a child, but I have no choice. Please, forgive me." she said softly, before Wendy was sent flying back by a wave of wind. She hadn't been expecting it, it was rather shocking. As Wendy got back up, she saw that the girl was actually hovering in the air, not even walking on her feet. It reminded her of Jack, the way he flew with her back on their way home from Garnelia City. "I am Toothiana, the child born to the Bureau of Magical Development. I've known no other home, though I long to break free. Our hope is gone, though, and our memories are tainted with lies and pain. Please, get out while you still can." she pleaded, while Wendy stood her ground.

She knew all about pain and suffering, this girl was a pawn in Pitch's game. Wendy would not let him win, not when she was so close to finding Jack. "I can't. I have to find Jack, I promised him that I would bring him back home." Wendy insisted, while Tooth smiled softly at her. She came flying in fast, while Wendy held her arms over her head to shield her body from the severe winds that were blasting at her.

"Wendy, you know what you must do!" Charle yelled, pinned against the wall by the winds. Her smaller size made her easier to pick up, allowing the wind to send her flying with ease. Wendy saw the state of her friend and realized she had no choice but to fight. Nodding at Carla, Wendy began to inhale the air blasting around her, trying to negate Tooth's magic. While it wasn't entirely effective due to the sheer amount of wind, the blast did die down slightly as Wendy grew stronger.

"Now it is my turn. Sky Dragon's Wing Attack!" Wendy Yelled, sending waves of wind blasting at Tooth from her arms. The girl was sent flying back, losing her balance on the wind as she landed on the ground in a slump. Tooth stared at her with wide eyes, before sending razor sharp blasts of wind towards Wendy in retaliation.

The dragon slayer dodged, jumping above them as she prepared yet another attack. "Sky Dragon's Crushing Fang!" she yelled, slashing her hand down and sending waves of wind towards Tooth's arm. Maybe if she could break the cuff that saddened Tooth so much, Wendy could bring some happiness to this girl's life. She seemed so sad to have it on, it was the least she could do to help. The wind hit the cuff hard, but it seemed to do little damage to it, barely managing a scratch on the surface.

Both of them breathing hard, Wendy decided that she really needed to use all of her power to win this fight. Tooth was in the air again, moving quickly towards Wendy. Before the dragon slayer could move, Tooth's legs kicked out and sent Wendy flying back into the wall, groaning in pain from the attack. Tooth did not relent there, attacking once more with a flurry of punches faster than Wendy thought was possible. This girl really was strong, probably a result of living with these people.

Wendy struggled underneath Tooth's attacks, crying out in pain before Charle came to her aid. The cat picked up Tooth, flying into the air and giving Wendy a moment to collapse and try and recover from her wounds. She felt weak and injured, but she had to keep going. When she saw Charle get sent flying back into the wall, Wendy felt even more motivated than ever. This girl was harming her friend, and stopping her from getting to Jack. She was going to stop this now, and show everyone that she was a strong and proud member of Fairy Tail.

Wendy got up, her clothes torn and her body bruised from the battle. "I will not let you win! I am a Fairy Tail mage and I can defeat you. Sky Dragon's Roar!" Wendy yelled, sending a massive wave of air blasting towards Tooth from her mouth. The girl was sent flying back, her arms covering her face for protecting and taking the brunt of the blast. As the onslaught of wind continued, Tooth began to cry out in pain herself. Wendy released the magic, feeling drained and exhausted from her battle. Glancing over at Tooth one last time as she collapsed on the ground, Wendy smiled at the sight of a broken cuff on her wrist. "I did it!" she cheered weakly, while Tooth collapsed as well.

"You…freed me. Thank you…I didn't deserve it, your kindness." Tooth said softly, lying down by Wendy's side as the fight ended. Wendy smiled over at her, nodding as she grabbed the other girl's hand gently. Tooth's eyes were wide at the touch, clearly happy to feel it.

"Yes, you did. You fought so hard, even though you did not want to, to protect your friends from getting hurt by Pitch. You are a good person, and I would like to be your friend one day." Wendy told her softly, watching Tooth nod as tears began to stream down her face. Wendy realized that these people never really had friends, so she had to be the one to cheer them up. Maybe with Fairy Tail, they could work towards making new memories for these people. With happy memories of friendship and adventure, these people could become something truly amazing that would help wizards everywhere.

 **So, I'm hoping this chapter turned out a bit better than the last one. It sounds somewhat better to me, but I could still be wrong. As always, feedback is appreciated! Leave a review and tell me what you think!**


	15. Creating Wonder

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail or Rise of the Guardians

Erza was a very observant wizard, always wary of her surroundings when she was on a mission. While many viewed her as strong, she herself thought she was weak. Erza's strength came from her friends, from knowing they were helping her and fighting to keep her safe. Even so, right now Erza was alone, calmly prepared to face down any enemy. These people had harmed a member of her guild and she would never forgive them.

The hall seemed to go on endlessly, with a few doors randomly placed throughout. Erza wondered just how much white a place could have, everything here was void of any color. The floors were tile, shined and polished, the walls were painted white, even the ceiling was white. The only hint of color were the few sparse doorknobs, a spot of gold in the clean, sterile facility. It saddened Erza to think that Jack had grown up in a place like this. The boy was so carefree and fun loving, yet his home was a place that seemed so restricting in a way. Any place as organized and clean as this one had rules and regulations for anyone within. Jack must have hated living here, Erza thought, especially with how simple and plain everything looked.

Erza stopped to open doors on her path, checking to see if Pitch might be within. Their enemy was smart with this layout, splitting up any search party that may have come to save Jack. The halls were long, preventing anyone from hearing a call for help, and also preventing aid from coming in the event that their screams were heard. Overall, Erza respected their well thought out place for this building, but she still despised anyone willing to put someone so young through this kind of pain. Erza knew what it was like to be torn away from her home, to be forced to do things unwillingly. An image of the Tower of Heaven flashed in her mind before she shook her head, focusing once more on the task at hand.

She checked yet another room, only to be disappointed at the sight of another plain bedroom, with no signs of belongings to indicate it was being lived in. So many rooms existed here, yet all of them were empty and devoid of life. Erza knew it was strange, that someone should be here to defend this facility. The few guards posted outside were weak, so Erza began to wonder just who else was within to protect their experiments. It made her even more on guard, as she drew her sword to prepare for battle against whoever she would face in this place.

When Erza opened the next door, she was slightly surprised to see someone inside. A man, with white hair and a black hat was sitting at his desk. He was focused on something in his hands, his beard getting slightly in the way of the tools he was using to carve away at the wood in his hands. Clearly, this boy longed to be an artist, yet once again his creativity was stifled by this place. He stopped what he was doing when Erza entered, turning towards her with a smile.

"Ah, welcome! I have longed for guests for so long, please sit down!" he exclaimed, standing up and giving his seat to Erza. The requip wizard felt that something was off, that this was a trap of some kind. She kept her sword unsheathed, ready to fight the man in front of her.

"Who are you? What is your business with the Bureau of Magical Development?" Erza demanded, her sword pointed directly at North who laughed at her actions. He stepped back, walking over to his bed for a moment, searching for something underneath the mattress.

"Why, I am Nicholas, but most people call me North. I knew who you were the moment you entered, you must be the friend Jack spoke of! It is wonderful to meet you, though I am ashamed to admit it will not be as joyous as we had planned. You see, we are all pawns in his game right now, held captive and under watch by Pitch Black." North explained, stepping back from his bed. Erza saw two swords in his hands, weapons the man seemed comfortable wielding just as she was when using her own. He would be a difficult opponent, if he truly was skilled with his blades.

Erza watched the man pat his arm, where a white brace was strapped on over his sleeve. The requip wizard understood that this was what was holding them captive, that this forced them to fight against their will. "Very well, I shall keep that in mind and make your defeat as painless as possible." Erza told North, watching the man nod and stand ready to fight. Erza moved forward quickly, slashing out with her sword in her heart creuz armor, not requipng until absolutely necessary. North blocked her attack, his swords held out with ease as he began to launch his own attack towards her.

Erza dodged, stepping away from his blade as she moved to fight once more. This man was skilled in his dual wielding abilities, while Erza was limited currently to just one sword. Perhaps she did need better armor to fight this opponent. Standing back, Erza focused and drew on her magic, her armor vanishing and being replaced with her black wing armor. Perhaps with this armor, her strength would be great enough to overpower North and his dual wielding abilities. "Oh, this is new? Well, I suppose it is time to reveal my own magic then." North stated with a smile, before a colorful looking portal opened in front of him. Erza watched with fascination as he vanished within, coming out directly behind her and striking her from behind. Her armor was barely enough to keep the blade from slicing her skin, unsurprising since it was not designed for defense.

Erza stumbled forward before regaining her footing quickly, turning around to attack. Jumping into the air, she used the wings of her armor to fly towards North with her new sword outstretched. North moved to block, but at the last second Erza changed the target of her strike, managing to collide with North's shoulder and sending him sprawling onto the floor. The wizard grimaced in pain, but he actually seemed pleased in a way. "Yes, you truly are a strong wizard. Perhaps you will be the one to free us all." he commented, getting back up with a grimace and standing ready to fight once more.

"If you wish for us to win, why do you fight?" Erza asked him, watching North glance down at his wrist once more. He looked sad, almost regretting his decision to fight. His swords were still raised and he was breathing hard, but Erza knew he could keep going. This man was a fighter, like all of the members of Fairy Tail.

"Pitch is using us, these bands can put any of us in more pain than you can possibly imagine if we disobey. At first, it wasn't enough to get us to obey, but then he changed plans. If we fail to do as he asks, Pitch will activate the shocks for all of the others, while the one who disobeyed is forced to watch. Seeing my friends in pain, it is something I could not bear. It is something none of us could….that is why we fight. We fight to protect each other, the only people that understand the pain of living in a place like this." North told her, looking sad but confident in his words.

Erza understood protecting her friends, and she understood these people all too well. "Freedom doesn't exist for you, correct? You see it as an unattainable goal. I was the same way once, refusing to have hope of being free. You'd be surprised at what life can give you, though. Don't lose hope, always find something wonderful in the world to look at and make that your focus instead of the pain. It will help you keep moving forward." Erza told him, watching North nod in gratitude. He seemed a bit surprised that she was helping him, that she understood his pain, but he accepted her words nonetheless.

"Perhaps we could have been friends, if we met under different circumstances." North told her, raising his sword once more to fight. Erza shook her head at him, a small smile on her face as she changed her armor once more. Now, she wore what looked like nothing but cloth, a white band covering her chest and red pants on her legs. In her hands were two swords, ready to fight with all her might.

"We will still be friends, North. I am Erza Scarlet of Fairy Tail, and I am going to free you from your prison!" she declared, charging forward with more speed than before. This was her most vulnerable armor, but also one of her most powerful ones. It gave her so much more freedom to move, allowing her to counter North's every attack with her blades. Even if her skin was exposed, Erza was not going to lose so easily.

North attacked quickly, using his portal once more to vanish from sight. Before it could fade away, Erza jumped through herself, not caring where it brought her. Normally, someone would be disoriented after teleporting their first time, but Erza was quick to adjust and attack North from behind, slashing down with her sword on his arm. There was a loud echo in the room as metal scratched against his cuff, but made little damage to the device. North's eyes went wide as he pulled back quickly, prepared to fight once more though he seemed to be a bit less determined to win.

Erza saw his movements slow down, realizing that his will to fight was no longer as strong. North knew that she was his best chance at being freed from this pain, and he was giving her an opening. The requip wizard did not let it go to waste, putting all of her strength into a flurry of strikes sent towards North, all of them colliding with the cuff on his arm. Breathing hard, Erza pushed on, knowing that she could not give up, not when someone needed her help. North was clearly dazed by her attacks, but she had no other option other than to keep slashing. The man eventually began to put up a fight once more, slashing out at Erza's unguarded shoulder with his blade. Unable to move to defend herself, Erza gasped in pain as it sliced through her arm and left a large gash in her skin.

She glared at North, who seemed to be a bit wary of her now. "It will not work, Erza. These cuffs were specially designed for each of us individually, with different strengths and weaknesses. A mere blade cannot cut through it." North told her, while Erza shook her head in disagreement. His inability to see what was in front of him blocked his chance of freedom. She could see a definable dent in the cuff, a sign that it was breaking from her repeated strikes. She just needed something a bit more severe to cut through it.

"Very well, I have one last chance. I had wished to avoid this option, as it puts you in danger as well, but you have left me with no choice." Erza stated, requiping into her Heaven's Wheel armor. She stood confidently and calmly, summoning nearly fifty swords behind her for her next attack. She had to limit it slightly to avoid excess damage to North, but she had to make sure there were enough swords to wear down the final resistance held within the cuff. North watched with wide eyes at the huge swarm of swords behind Erza, only now understanding just how powerful his opponent had been.

With a small nod, Erza sent the swords flying towards her opponent, trying to direct them towards the cuff. A few blades were unable to follow that path, slashing against North's skin and making him groan in pain from his new injuries. Most hit their target, though, the noise growing louder than it had been when Erza was striking against the cuff herself. After the final sword collided with the cuff, it finally broke through and tore it in two, the device falling onto the ground underneath North. He stared up at Erza with wide eyes, surprised to finally be freed. "Thank you, Erza, for showing me that there is a wizard capable of inspiring wonder like you in the world."

Erza stood tall, her injuries making her a bit weak. Perhaps she wasn't in good enough shape to fight Pitch anymore, but she knew her friends were capable of doing so."I did nothing, North. You are the one truly capable of bringing wonder to others." Erza stated calmly, glancing about the room with a small smile. Her eyes rested on the desk, the only one in this entire facility she had seen with a personal touch. Tiny carvings were scattered across it, showing that even in a place as dark as this, wonder still survived in a boy who had lost everything in his life.

 **So, no reviews in a while. I don't know if that's a good thing or not, but it does leave me feeling a bit less inspired to write. Just a heads up, there will be no updates for a while, I am going on vacation and with work and school, I don't think I'll have enough time to get another chapter ready before I leave. If you want to know when to expect another update, check out my profile, I have an estimated update schedule there and I will do my best to alter it if anything changes. Feel free to review, maybe it might inspire me enough to get an update out before I leave!**


	16. Sweet Dreams

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of ROTG or Fairy Tail

Gray was beginning to wonder just how long it would take to find anyone in this place. He was alone, having separated from Erza and Wendy not too long ago. He didn't mind that fact, since it gave him some peace and quiet, but this place was creepy. It reminded him of a hospital, yet there was no sign of life within. He glared at the walls as he walked by, still unsure of what to expect.

The ice wizard had a plan for when he faced Pitch, to an extent. Gray knew Jack, knew how the winter spirit fought and what Pitch would expect from an ice wizard. Based on that, Gray could do things Jack would never do. He could use his weapons to attack, instead of the games Jack played to lower his enemy's guard. It wasn't the best idea, since Gray had no clue what kind of magic Pitch used, but it was better than nothing. Going all out against his enemy was the only way he knew of to ensure his friends remained safe.

Gray sighed, wondering if everyone else was having just as hard of a time as he was. He had passed by yet another empty room, still with no signs of anyone in the hall. Maybe Pitch wasn't here right now, yet that didn't quite sound right. Wendy and Natsu were always right when they tracked someone's scent down, so Jack had to be here. Even if he wasn't in this hallway, Jack was in the building, and Pitch did not seem like the kind of man to leave his prize unguarded. Gray knew that the dark wizard would be here somewhere, he just had to keep looking.

Gray stopped walking at a strange sight in the hall. The boy from before, the one that took Jack, was flying towards him on what looked like a massive cloud of golden sand. He landed in front of Gray, who just glared over at the short kid. "Huh, so you're here too. Now, you're going to tell me what you did with Jack, or I'm going to show you what a Fairy Tail mage is really capable of." Gray insisted, watching Sandy look sad, yet nod in response.

This was where things got a bit confusing. Instead of talking, this guy started creating images above his head. Gray saw an image of a family, followed by Pitch, then a snowflake, a pillow, a broken heart, and a few others. They came so fast Gray could hardly see what shapes were being made, and it was far more confusing than it was helpful. "Cut that out, no one can understand this nonsense!" Gray complained, waving away the sand over Sandy's head.

The young wizard frowned, looking rather upset with Gray's comment. He crossed his arms over his chest, looking a bit thoughtful as he gaze at Gray. After a few moments, Sandy simply pointed towards the wall, making Gray realize the kid was giving him directions in a way. Jack was in a hall that direction, not here. The motion made Gray notice the cuff on this kid's wrist, something that the ice wizard knew didn't belong on him. It hadn't been there before and if it was here now, something had changed after bringing Jack back to this place.

"What's that thing on your wrist?" Gray asked, watching the kid frown and rub the cuff gently. His gaze looked worried as he glanced back up at Gray, before creating a small image of a lightning bolt above his head, pointing to the cuff as he did so. While most of this guy's images meant nothing to Gray, he managed to understand this one. The bracelet shocked him, and the ice-make wizard had a pretty good idea of who was in control. Pitch Black was forcing Sandy to work for him, which meant that this kid was not really their enemy.

"Look, I'm sorry about that kid, but I've got to find Pitch. He's my priority, once he's gone I'm going to find Jack and bring him back to Fairy Tail. I've got to figure out his little freezing trick, after all." Gray commented with a slight smirk. Sandy looked a bit disappointed, before he created whips of sand in his hands. Gray moved to walk past the wizard, only for the sand to wrap around his waist and yank him back towards Sandy. The ice-make wizard fell on the ground, just as Sandy released him and gave Gray a sad smile. An image of Pitch's head appeared above Sandy, tapping the cuff as he stood ready to fight.

Gray sighed, getting up with a groan. "Man, this is going to be a pain. Damn Pitch for playing games like this, I don't have time for his pawns!" Gray complained, getting ready to attack. "Ice Make: Lance!" he yelled, sending spikes of ice towards Sandy. The golden wizard saw them coming, his sand creating another cloud for him to fly off on. Gray realized that this kid was going to be a tough opponent, even if he was unwilling to fight. Maybe there was a way to free him, but Gray didn't have time to figure it out.

Sandy attacked right back, his whips lashing down towards Gray. The ice wizard saw them coming this time, moving quickly to get out of their path as Sandy flew above him. "Just how much sand do you have anyway?" Gray asked, noticing how endless his supply of it seemed to be. It was a lot like Jack, with an immense amount of magic power that could be utilized at any moment. His sand seemed to be a lot like his maker magic, taking form to whatever this kid wanted it to be. Right now, he seemed content with his whips and cloud, but Gray had to be prepared for anything.

"Ice Make: Cannon!" Gray yelled, deciding he needed to attack somehow. He used his cannon to launch a block of ice towards Sandy, surprising the wizard and sending him flying off of his cloud and onto the ground. Sandy actually grinned at Gray, giving him a thumbs up for his attack before moving in to attack once more. His whip lashed out, wrapping around Gray's leg as he attempted to dodge. He wasn't quick enough this time, and he felt himself thrown into the air, thrown around like he weighed nothing by a kid that seemed far to weak to be capable of anything like this. Gray's body began to hurt all over as he was repeatedly slammed into the ground and walls, thrown around the room by Sand'y magic.

Once it looked like Gray was taken out of the battle, he was finally released. He was dazed from the attack, grimacing in pain from all of Sandy's motions, but he had to keep going. He was not going to let Natsu out do him here, not when he had to prove to the idiot that he was still stronger. Gray could push through pain just as well as the fire wizard, for his friends and to protect his guild. With that in mind, Gray stood back up, glaring at Sandy as he began to pull his shirt off. It was time to get serious now, to show this kid just what a Fairy Tail wizard could do.

Sandy raised an eyebrow at Gray, pointing to his shirt and making a question mark above his head. "I think I'm about warmed up now. It is time to get serious and show you the true power of a Fairy Tail wizard." Gray told him, watching Sandy nod and look excited. Sandy pounded his fist into his sand, looking determined for the fight to continue on. He gestured for Gray to come and attack, something Gray could not resist anymore.

"Ice Make: Hammer!" Gray yelled, slamming a massive hammer of ice down onto the wizard. Sandy moved to dodge, something Gray had been expecting as he planned his next attack. "Ice Make: Cage!" he yelled, trapping Sandy within. Now, the sand wizard had no path of escape, not even into the sky. It worked well to give Gray a chance to attack him, and Sandy seemed to agree. His whips could still reach beyond the bars, but he had limited movement. Gray watched Sandy try to attack, his sand slipping out of the cage towards Gray, who grinned and froze it between his hands. Maybe Jack was on to something, using magic without actually focusing on spells. It was a little unstable and unpredictable, but it had its uses in battle.

"Now, I hope you are ready for some sweet dreams, because I am knocking you out!" Gray yelled, while Sandy nodded, actually agreeing with Gray. The ice wizard stopped his attack, seeing that motion. His opponent wanted to lose, he could see that now. Sandy had been going easy on him, playing around for show instead of actually trying to stop Gray. Sandy gestured for Gray to continue, creating an image of a pillow above his head and pointing to himself once more. "You…want to lose. Sorry, I don't take orders from my enemies." Gray told Sandy, even though he knew the kid wasn't his true target.

Glancing over at Sandy's sad face, Gray decided that there was another option. "Ice Make: Lance!" he yelled once more, though his target had changed. Instead of lashing out at Sandy directly, Gray targeted the cuff that kept him under Pitch's control. "I am going to free you, so you can make your dreams a reality! I might not understand what it is you are saying, but you have friends and a family somewhere in this world. No one deserves to be alone, that is nothing but a nightmare." Gray told him, watching Sandy's eyes grow wide as the cuff snapped under the pressure of Gray's ice.

Once the cuff was gone, Gray released the cage surrounding Sandy. He felt drained from battling the kid and wondered just how injured he would be if Sandy had been fighting at full strength. It made a lot of sense now, why Jack had just given up and gone with this guy. For someone so upbeat and happy, he really could be fierce when he needed to be. Glancing down the hallway, Gray began to think about his own words. His family was gone, but Fairy Tail was his new family. He used to be surrounded by nightmares, images of Deliora haunting his mind. Now, he could have pleasant dreams once more, his mind focused on his future and his friends at Fairy Tail. It was the perfect place for a guy like Sandy, who was looking for a place to start finding a new dream to make into a reality.

 **This chapter is a little short, but I didn't have as much time as usual to prepare it. Still, I didn't expect to have much of anything done towards this before I left, so luckily, we still get an update this week! This time, it will actually be the last chapter before I leave, since I only have a few more days before I go on vacation. As always, feel free to review and tell me what you think!**


	17. Guardian of Fun

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Rise of the Guardians or Fairy Tail

Natsu didn't really feel comfortable leaving Lucy on her own, but he had no other choice. His friend was strong and could fight too, even if he wished he could be by her side to always protect her. Splitting up was the best plan to find Pitch and Jack, so it made sense, yet Natsu felt uncomfortable in general about doing so. As much as he wanted to bring the winter spirit back, he also wanted Lucy to stay away from him. The way she seemed so friendly towards Jack, so happy, it made Natsu feel like there was something wrong. Lucy should be smiling with him, laughing with him. It didn't bother Natsu that Lucy was happy, just that she was so interested in Jack Frost.

"Natsu…is something wrong?" Happy asked, noticing Natsu's thoughtful expression. It was rare for Natsu to focus so hard on anything, yet that was what he was doing today. Jack was a good kid, Natsu really shouldn't have any issues with him. He was fun and fit in perfectly at Fairy Tail. Natsu should be happy to have someone new to prove his strength too, yet every time he thought of how Lucy had leaned over him, trying to help him in the forest, Natsu felt sick again. It was almost as bad as riding on a train, but Natsu didn't understand why he felt that way.

"It's nothing, Happy. Let's just keep going." Natsu told his partner, moving on. He had really acted on impulse earlier, when he said goodbye to Lucy. He had wanted to be close to her, to inhale as much of her scent as possible before leaving. Natsu understood that they were just friends, and he was fine with that, but part of him wondered if he was starting to see her as something more. He hadn't really felt this close to anyone since Lisana, and even then, it wasn't quite the same as it was with Lucy. Natsu could still feel the warmth of Lucy's skin against his hand, the way her hair had felt so smooth when his hand brushed against a stray strand that had rested on her cheek.

"Remind me, I've gotta visit Lucy when we get back tonight. I wanna talk to her about something." Natsu told Happy, planning on visiting her room once they were done. He couldn't get the thought out of his head anymore, so he had to know if Lucy felt the same way. If he didn't act soon enough, Lucy might begin dating other guys. He remembered how he felt when she did that before, how it had seemed so strange to him that Lucy was involved with anyone. He really didn't know how to react at the time, wondering if he should be happy for her or not. Now, he knew that he would not be able to smile at the idea. As he thought about this, Natsu realized that this was why he didn't like Jack. Lucy liked him and seemed interested in him as a boyfriend! Natsu glared down the hall, aware that Jack's scent was nearby, angry with the boy for even thinking of taking Lucy away from him.

"Huh, I wasn't sure if you guys would come. Looks like I was right before, but you really should leave now, Natsu." a voice told him, making Jack turn to see Jack by his side. The winter spirit looked almost exactly the same as he had been at the guild, though he did have a white cuff on his arm, attached over the sleeve of his hoodie.

Natsu glared at Jack, still thinking about Lucy. "Finally, I found you! I figured it out, you're after Lucy, aren't you?" Natsu demanded, watching Jack blink in surprise for a few moments. The winter spirit backed away from Natsu's hand, which was pointing directly in his face a bit too close for anyone's comfort zone.

Natsu watched as Jack began to laugh, irritating him that the winter spirit wasn't even taking this seriously. "What? No way, I'm only fourteen, she's a bit too old for me! Not that she's actually old or anything, just not quite the girl I'm looking for." Jack replied, while Natsu blushed slightly, embarrassed about his accusation. It didn't help that he actually felt better after hearing Jack say that, or the fact that Happy was behind him already teasing Natsu for liking Lucy.

"Good, because Lucy's my friend and I'm not going to let a useless kid like you hurt her!" Natsu stated, trying to back off from his statement. Based on the amused look on the winter spirit's face, it didn't exactly have its intended effect. After just a few moments, though, Jack's smile faded and turned a bit more serious.

"Look, I'm glad that you came to help, but you really should just go. You don't understand what's going on here, we just can't win this time, Natsu." Jack stated, while Natsu glared at him. This kid really didn't understand what Fairy Tail was all about. Natsu never saw any task as impossible, he was overcoming every obstacle in his path as he moved forward with his friends. He would have fun with Lucy, Erza, and even Gray, while showing the world just how strong Natsu Dragneel truly was.

"That's not how we play over at Fairy Tail. We never give up, not even if every last wizard of the guild has exhausted all of their magic. It doesn't matter what we are up against, Fairy Tail will always have the strength necessary to defend our friends!" Natsu insisted, confident in his ability. Jack looked up at Natsu with a sad smile, shaking his head as he held up the arm with the strange white cuff on it.

"Well, I hope you don't mind fighting your friends. Pitch has made us his own personal guardians, protecting the Bureau and everything within. We really don't have much of a choice, Natsu." Jack told him, while Natsu glared at the object. He stepped forward, yanking on the device. Natsu really thought his own strength would be enough to free Jack, but as the winter spirit freed his arm from the dragon slayer's grip, Natsu realized it would take more than that to free Jack from this.

Staring over at Jack, Natsu grinned widely at him. "So, we're going to be fighting? I'm all fired up now, show me just how strong you've gotten, Frost!" Natsu declared, charging forward without hesitation. It was rather surprising for the winter spirit, who's eyes went wide as he moved quickly to dodge his attack. Natsu went flying past Jack, his fist colliding with the wall of the hallway as the winter spirit retaliated, a blast of snow piling up on Natsu's head.

Jack laughed at the sight as Natsu glared at him. The winter spirit wasn't even taking this fight seriously! It frustrated Natsu, he hated having people underestimate his strength. "You claim to be a guardian, huh? Well, I say fight for what you believe in!" Natsu said, moving closer to Jack and slamming his fist into Jack's stomach. The winter spirit groaned, the air growing colder as he tried to fight back. Natsu felt ice appear under his feet, but he had fought Gray enough times to learn how to walk on slippery floors like this one.

"Fight for your friends!" Natsu added, sending yet another flame covered fist into Jack's side. The winter spirit really wasn't prepared for Natsu trying to go all out in a fight, but the dragon slayer never held back in any battle. Even if it was just for fun, Natsu would want to do everything possible to show his friends how strong he had become. "Fight to keep them happy, to make sure they never have to cry again!" Natsu said, one final time as Lucy's face flashed in his mind. He was going to protect her and bring her friend back, he had made her a promise. His final punch landed on Jack's wrist, on the cuff keeping him trapped here.

Natsu pulled his hand back, frowning at the pain the hard object sent through his hand. The thing was hard, clearly designed to be hard to break through. "Fight to protect others…to make sure they always find time to have fun and laugh." Jack added, glancing up at Natsu and giving him a small smile. Natsu watched the winter spirit hold his arm out towards Jack, the one with the cuff strapped on. "It is resistant to cold, I've tried countless times to make it shatter. With enough heat though….damn, this is gonna hurt. Try to avoid burning me too much, Natsu." he said, watching Natsu grin and step forward, flames dancing in his palm.

As the flames heated up the cuff, Natsu could tell Jack was uncomfortable. The guy clearly did not like the heat, but he dealt with it long enough for the metal to soften up, allowing Natsu to punch through it and break it off of Jack's wrist. Now free, the winter spirit rubbed his wrist and grinned down at Natsu. "Alright, Guardian of Fun, where to next?" Natsu asked, grinning right back as they moved on. It was time to take down Pitch once and for all, and stop this Bureau and all of its experiments. Together, Jack and Natsu would defeat Pitch and free everyone trapped within this place.

 **I'm back! Still a little sleepy from all of the waiting and time changes, but I did get this chapter ready for you. I hope you enjoy, we are now approaching the end of this story. Feel free to let me know what you think in a review, I love hearing your thoughts.**


	18. Fighting Fear

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Rise of the Guardians or Fairy Tail

It felt amazing to be free from that cuff. Jack Frost had never expected Natsu to be the one to rescue him, yet the dragon slayer had come. He wanted to ask about Wendy, but he knew now was not the time. Pitch was still here, and while he was here, Jack knew Pitch could torment his friends to punish Jack for his actions. He simply couldn't bring himself to fight Natsu seriously, not when he actually wanted to lose this battle. He wanted his friends to win, so that he could finally be freed from the nightmare that was the Bureau of Magical Development.

"So, did something happen with you and Lucy?" Jack asked, remembering the dragon slayer's first question for him. Natsu was blushing again, while Happy giggled behind his head. It was obvious that something had happened, even if Natsu didn't say anything. Maybe the guy finally realized how he felt, it was about time he figured it out.

"No…I just want to keep her safe. I don't wanna see Lucy cry." Natsu stated, as if that explained everything. Jack wasn't going to push the issue, so he left it at that. Natsu didn't want to talk about his feelings, so Jack was going to focus on finding Pitch and bringing him down. Once that was done, he could go back to Fairy Tail again and see Wendy. He wanted to talk to the girl, to tell her that she was his first friend in years. He wanted to make sure Wendy knew that no one understood him like she did, not even his friends that had grown up in the Bureau like he had.

"Pitch is usually in his office. It isn't far from here, actually." Jack told Natsu, walking down the hall. "He put those cuffs on all of us, using us to protect the place we all want to leave. He is sick and twisted, trying to make your greatest fears a reality." Jack continued, thinking about how Pitch manipulated him. The man had forced Jack into an eternal nightmare, for years, that ended up causing an endless blizzard for Garnelia City. While it had ended rather easily when Jack woke up, he was not happy with the fact that Pitch had forced him to harm the children he had only wanted to play with.

"I told you before, it doesn't matter what we're up against. We're both Fairy Tail wizards, and no one can stop our guild." Natsu told Jack, making the winter spirit feel a bit better about the situation. Natsu had so much confidence in their victory, it was hard not to believe him. "Besides, I didn't come here alone. I'm sure your friends have been freed by now after they met up with the rest of Fairy Tail!" Natsu added cheerfully, while Jack nodded. He hoped that was the case, but even if it was, it meant that they would have little help in this final fight. Most wizards had a limited pool of magical energy to use. If his friends had wasted it by fighting each other, it was up to Natsu and Jack to stop Pitch.

"Jack, is Pitch really scary?" Happy asked, looking a bit nervous about the upcoming fight. Jack always thought the cats were strange, but he knew that they had feelings and acted a lot like people. Even if they were a mystery to the winter spirit, he was going to take their questions seriously and answer them.

With a slight frown, Jack thought about the question. He wasn't exactly afraid of Pitch, it was just fear of what might happen to his friends. Jack was confident that in this second match, he could defeat his enemy. He just didn't know what the cost of the battle would be. "He can be, but don't worry about it. With Natsu by my side, I have no doubt that we'll be able to take him down." Jack told Happy, nodding towards his companion who looked eager for battle.

"Yes, you may not be afraid of me, but you are afraid of something, Jack Frost." a voice called out, stopping them in their tracks. Jack recognized Pitch's voice, standing ready to fight as Natsu did the same. Flames appeared in the dragon slayer's hand as snow began to fall in the room from Jack's magic.

"So? Looks like you're the coward to me, come out and face us!" Natsu demanded, yelling into the empty hall. Jack knew that this must be his shadow magic, his ability to hide anywhere darkness could be found.

"Ah, a dragon slayer, it has been a while since I've seen one. I learned this little trick from one a while back, though I didn't have the proper training to learn much else. No, I was far more interested in fear, in knowing how it could be turned into strength that could overpower any enemy." Pitch told them, sending a chill down Jack's spine. Pitch really did have a twisted mind, focused on fear and darkness instead of the bright possibilities for his future.

Natsu seemed to agree, glaring into the sky at his words. "Another dragon slayer? That means you know about the dragons. Hey, do you know Igneel? Tell me where he is!" Natsu demanded, getting more worked up than Jack had seen him before. The winter spirit remember Wendy mentioning that name, the name of the dragon that had raised Natsu. Jack's eyes went wide, wondering if Pitch had anything to do with what happened. If he did, Jack knew there was going to be no one capable of stopping Natsu. He could already feel heat radiating from Natsu, his flames growing stronger and hotter as the fire wizard's anger at Pitch grew.

Pitch laughed darkly, shadows flickering across the walls. "Perhaps, but why would I tell you that? After all, it would not benefit me in any way. No, I prefer your greatest fear to remain strong, the fear that you will never find your father again." Pitch told him, before showing his face to both wizards. Natsu was furious, his fist moving to slam directly into Pitch's face, but it was a trap. Natsu's fist was stopped by one of Pitch's creations, the black horses with golden yellow eyes.

Natsu pulled his hand back, yelping as the horse bit his fist. "Ah, I see you've met one of my Nightmares. Brilliant creatures, they smell fear, you know. All it took was a bit of studying and understanding. Jack, I'm sure you recognize this, don't you?" Pitch stated, holding out his hand which was filled with a small pile of black sand. Jack's eyes went wide, realizing just what had created these things. Pitch had managed to corrupt Sandy's magic, turing it dark and fearful instead of bright and fun.

"What did you do to him? Where is Sandy?" Jack demanded, a wave of frost sent flying towards the creature. It collided with the black sand, freezing it and shattering it in front of him. Jack was pleased to note that those things could be destroyed, fairly easily too. Natsu noticed the same thing, nodding towards Jack as he focused on Pitch in front of him.

Pitch was incredibly amused by Jack's questions, making Jack realize he had fallen for the man's trick. "Well, here I was thinking you didn't care. After all, you are breaking the rules, aren't you, Jack? Sandy will be the one to pay the price, along with the rest of your friends." Pitch told Jack, summoning forth an entire army of nightmares for his defense. "Now, dealing with one nightmare is simple, but can you face an army of them all at once?" Pitch questioned, watching as the nightmares surrounded Jack and Natsu.

"Uh…I'll take the ones on the left you take the ones on the right?" Jack said questioningly, a bit intimidated by the sheer amount of opponents they were facing. Natsu seemed excited, grinning at the possibility of a fight. Flames danced in both of his hands, finally having a chance to be unleashed around him.

"No problem, once these guys are gone, we can finish Pitch once and for all!" Natsu declared, his fist flying forward through one of the creatures. The sand dispersed as he passed through it, showing just how weak these were. Even so, the sheer amount was enough to intimidate anyone and force wizards to use up valuable magical energy.

"I've got this. Sorry, Natsu, I hope you don't mind the cold." Jack yelled. A massive snowstorm began to form in the room, with hail mixed in to pelt the creatures with ice. It did little damage to them, simply irritating the horses as they charged forward, while Jack grew more focused on truly finding a better attack to fight these things. He jumped out of their way as they lunged forward, dodging their mouths as they tried to bite down on his arm. At least he was still agile enough to avoid them, he just needed a better strategy of attack.

"Come on, the ice princess can do better than that! Show me what you're made of, Frost, and kill these things quick." Natsu yelled, making Jack turn and see most of his opponents already destroyed. "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" Natsu yelled attacking yet another one of the remaining nightmares. Seeing his friend's success inspired Jack, he just needed to try a bit harder. After all, he was a Fairy Tail wizard now, so he had to represent his guild in this battle.

Glancing around him and seeing Natsu's flames, Jack realized he couldn't be too concerned for his friend. He just hoped Natsu's fire was hot enough to resist this spell. Closing his eyes, Jack began to drop the temperature severely, seeing Natsu's flames begin to freeze in place during his next attack. Natsu stared at them with irritation, trying to ignite them again as the temperature continued to drop. "Sorry, Natsu, but I have no other choice. This will take care of these creatures, then we'll only have Pitch to deal with." Jack stated, watching as they all began to freeze over, shattering not long after turning into frozen statues of ice. Natsu himself ended up frozen as well, something Jack corrected moments after the horses were gone, freeing him from the spell. The temperature was back up to reasonable levels, and Natsu seemed to recover quickly. Still, it did not stop them from noticing Pitch, standing ready to fight against them himself.

Natsu grinned over at Jack after he finished, clearly excited to keep going. "Nice work, Guardian of Fun, keep it up!" Natsu told him, while Jack rolled his eyes. Jack really wished he hadn't phrased his situation here like that. Natsu was never letting that nickname go now. Jack knew he was no guardian, not in any way. He couldn't protect anyone, not even himself. Even so, Jack felt himself smiling at the idea. He wanted to protect others, so maybe that was all that was required for his title. After all, he did inspire fun quite well in others.

"Natsu!" a voice called out from behind them, catching Jack's attention. Lucy was here, with Bunny by her side. Jack was surprised to see them, but he could tell that Lucy was a bit tired and worn out. They really had been fighting each other, all a result of the game Pitch was trying to play with them. Bunny nodded towards Jack in greeting, not really one for too many words. There was an unspoken rivalry between the two of them, one that had been going on since the day they met. Jack had only made it worse a few years ago when he tried changing his friend's nickname from Bunny to kangaroo. The winter spirit still didn't know why the guy loved the name Bunny so much, but he learned fairly quickly not to question it.

Jack watched Lucy rush forward, wrapping her arms around the dragon slayer as she arrived. "I'm so glad you're alright! Bunny says that there were other wizards here, forced to protect the facility because of Pitch." Lucy told him, while Jack waved at her, finally catching the celestial wizards attention. She looked surprised, but smiled at him and waved. "Oh, Jack, you're here. I guess you already know about that…" Lucy mumbled, before her gaze turned to see Pitch in front of them.

"Ah, I see you've finally noticed me. Now we have two disobedient children, I wonder how much the others will suffer now?" Pitch taunted, making Bunny growl at him and step forward threateningly. Jack watched Bunny pull out his boomerangs, clearly wanting to throw them at his enemy. Jack shook his head at Bunny, already knowing that this was a trap. It was just like before, Pitch using his words to play games with them. Jack was done with his game, done being Pitch's pawn.

Natsu seemed focused as well, stepping back from Lucy as he focused on Pitch. "Stay back, Lucy. You've fought well already, now you can rest and leave the rest to us." he told her, watching the celestial wizard nod and step back. Jack wondered why she had come, but he realized what motivated her. Just like everyone else in the guild, she kept going on to protect her friends, regardless of the risk for herself. Bunny looked like he was ready for another fight at least, but even so, Jack questioned if he would be able to stay calm enough to fight back against Pitch.

The head of the Bureau looked amused at their actions, smiling as Lucy stood back. "Well, looks like we now have a neutral party. I suppose I'm just going to ignore you then." he commented, looking bored with her as he focused on Jack and Natsu once more. A wave of darkness rose up in front of Pitch, moving towards Jack and Natsu with a wave of his hand. The winter spirit saw that it was too wide to dodge in the narrow hall, so he had to block it.

"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!" Natsu yelled, two waves of fire coming out from his arms and slicing through the darkness. Jack took that as a cue to attack himself, dropping the temperature immensely as he began to create frost in the air. Blue trails of frost burst from his body, freezing and then exploding with the darkness as the two magics mixed. When the collision was finished, a cloud of gray smoke covered the hallway, making it hard to see. Jack stumbled around, searching for Pitch as Natsu began to illuminate his location with his flames.

"I may not be your best friend, mate, but against Pitch, I am here to help. My tunnels will get you to him fast, be ready to fight when you get out." Bunny told them, meeting up by Natsu. Jack nodded, grinning at Bunny as the hole opened up by the wizard's foot. With a slight wave, Jack jumped inside, followed by Natsu just moments later. Jack was laughing as he slid through the tunnel, skating along the slick, smooth surface of the rock floor. It did not take long for them to be released, coming out directly behind Pitch who was still searching for them in the mist.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu yelled, flames pouring out from his mouth and blasting Pitch back as they emerged. Jack grinned at the sight, before adding in his own attack. He created small beads of ice, the size of snowflakes, focused on keeping them frozen within the mix of Natsu's flames. This was Jack's version of Pitch's idea, mimicking Sandy's magic with his own ice. His ice formed thousands of small, piercing orbs that swarmed around Natsu's flames. While it took some effort to keep them frozen in that heat, the winter spirit was quite capable of it, managing to only freeze some of Natsu's flames in the process. The momentum kept the frozen flames moving forward, though, along with the rest of their magic. It was a unison raid, something that few wizards were ever able to accomplish, and with power as strong as Natsu's and Jack's, it was overwhelming for Pitch. He screamed in pain from the blast, collapsing on the ground when the fire and ice began to fade away.

When the magic faded, Jack and Natsu were standing over him with determined looks on their faces. They were still ready to fight, just in case Pitch decided he could get back up and defend himself once more. As they stared over at Pitch, Natsu slowly began to grin. Pitch was knocked out, completely done for after their attack. Together, they had managed to stop the head of the Bureau of Magical Development. Fairy Tail had freed Jack Frost and his friends. With a smile on his face, the winter spirit cheered and flew into the air, flipping as he did so. Lucy stared at him in shock as did Bunny, but Natsu simply grinned and gave him a high five. "See, I told ya we'd win! This is what it means to be a part of Fairy Tail!" he told Jack. Glancing around at two of his new friends, Jack couldn't help but smile and feel proud to be a part of this guild. He had found his home, a new family that was willing to take him in and treat him like one of their own, regardless of his strange magic. Glancing over at Natsu, he decided it was time for him to move on past his old fears and embrace his future. He was a part of Fairy Tail, and he was never going back to this place again.

 **There we have it, the final battle with Pitch! I have one more chapter planned to finish up this story, along with a bonus chapter explaining Pitch's backstory for this AU. Just a reminder, if you want to avoid spoilers for the Alvarez Empire arc of Fairy Tail, do not read Pitch's backstory, as it will contain spoilers for further into the series than the rest of this story has done so far. I hope you enjoyed, once again, please review and tell me what you think!**


	19. Epilogue

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail or Rise of the Guardians

Things calmed down relatively quickly after their battle. The Bureau of Magical Development was brought to justice, their misdeeds broadcast to the entire magical community. As a result, the organization was shut down, never allowed to resume experiments again. Their research notes were confiscated by the Magic Council and things returned to normal. Well, at least as normal as things got when Fairy Tail was concerned. Strangely, there seemed to have been some connection between the organization and Zeref, but the Council was doing everything in their power to keep that part a secret from the public. Few understood how the Black Wizard was connected, and it was likely that no one ever would.

Jack Frost was back at the guild, smiling as his old friends joined in as well. Sandy was grinning, giving them all thumbs up as he showed off his Fairy Tail mark, in gold on the back of his hand. North received a black mark, resting on his arm between his elbow and wrist. Jack thought that it was a bit of a strange placement, but he insisted that it was perfect for him. Bunny seemed unwilling to get the stamp, not wanting to ruin the pattern he already had going on with his tattoos. As a result, it ended up on his chest, in the same dark blue color as the rest of his tattoos, even though it would remain unseen to most people. Tooth was thrilled as well, hugging everyone she met and trying to get their attention as she flew around the guild. Much like Jack, Tooth loved her powers of flight. The difference between them was that Tooth loved them more. She acted like she was unable to stay on the ground, always flying in the air regardless of where she went.

Tooth's mark was green, placed on her upper leg. As he watched her flying around the guild, he realized that this crazy place was perfect for them. It would allow them to make new memories, create new dreams to strive for, and bring a sense of wonder to their lives. The adventures this guild went on really were amazing, and Jack couldn't wait to see what would happen next. As he stared out at the older members, Jack was seeing a familiar pattern. Cana was drinking, Mira was gossiping with others about potential relationships, Fried was talking with the rest of the Thunder Legion about how much they missed Laxus, and Elfman was making some comment about being a real man.

His gaze finally found Wendy, sitting alone and staring out at the guild. Jack disliked the idea of her being alone right now, so he walked over to her, away from his old friends. He still hadn't really talked to her since the battle at the Bureau. Wendy needed to know that he would always be here for her, however she needed him. "Hey, how're you feeling?" Jack asked, noticing the distant look on Wendy's face. The girl glanced up at him, smiling almost immediately when she saw Jack there.

"Jack, sorry, I was thinking. Natsu told me that Pitch knew about our dragons. It hurts to know that we were so close to finding them, yet nothing came out of it." Wendy told him, looking sad again. Jack figured she had heard about it, from what he had seen, Natsu wasn't one to keep secrets too well. The winter spirit wanted to help her, but he really knew nothing about the dragons. He couldn't find them, not in any way, and with Pitch now imprisoned, they weren't going to have a chance to question him further about it.

Jack touched her shoulder gently, watching her glance over at him in surprise. "Hey, it'll be alright. You may be sad now, but I know we'll find Grandeeney one day. I might not know where she is, or even where to start looking, but I am not going to let anyone go through life without their family. I already know what it's like to lose my own, I'm not going to let you lose yours." Jack told her. Jack saw tears well up in Wendy's eyes, a smile still on her face as she moved closer and hugged Jack, her head burying in his chest. Jack was a bit surprised, stepping back slightly before wrapping his arms around her in return. He could tell that she was going to be relying on him, that they were going to be close friends no matter what happened. Jack was never going to abandon her, even if he one day found himself leaving this guild. She was his best friend and maybe one day, they could be something more.

* * *

Lucy was back at home, relaxing in her apartment after their latest mission. It really had taken a lot out of her, fighting against Bunny who was now a part of the guild. It was strange having so many new people around, but she enjoyed it. They added to the fun of the guild, mixing in so well the crazy antics everyone was always involved in. Though, they did typically work more amongst themselves, not even bothering to take jobs. It was weird, but it suited them in a way. They spent their time trying to help others in Magnolia, rather than going out on typical missions. Sometimes, Jack would join them, though he typically was found starting snowball fights with the guild members, or with children in town.

Currently, she was bathing, enjoying the heat of the water as she thought about the changes coming to the guild. Everyone was acting crazy at the guild right now, taking as many jobs as possible for some odd reason. No one had explained what was going on to Lucy, so she figured it wasn't all that important.

She got out of her bath, sighing as she wrapped a towel around her body and stepped into her main room. Everything was in order, her unfinished story on her desk, clothes put away, Natsu on her bed—wait a second, that wasn't right. Her gaze turned back towards him before she shrieked, wondering just what he was doing here. "Natsu! You're in my room again!" she yelled, while Natsu sat up, smiling and waving at her. Happy wasn't here with him as usual, making Lucy even more suspicious of his actions. Just how did he get in through her window without that cat? She didn't understand and right now, she didn't want to know.

"Sorry, Lucy, I need to talk to you." he said, rather serious for Natsu. Lucy stopped herself, about to continue her rant on politely knocking before entering someone's room. When Natsu was serious, she knew she had to listen. It was rare to see him like this, and he seemed conflicted about something right now. "I was thinking the other day…about you and Jack. Do you like him?" Natsu asked, a strange look on his face.

Lucy blinked in surprise, uncertain of where this came from. Why was Natsu even asking her about this? It was her personal business, it had nothing to do with him. Even so, she felt like she should give him an answer. He was being sincere in his question, so she would reply. "Umm…I guess. He's a good friend, and fun to have around the guild." she told him, not really sure of what he was looking for. Natsu frowned, staring at her a bit closer.

"Good friend? So you don't like…want to date him or anything?" Natsu clarified, mystifying Lucy even further. She blinked at him in surprise, seeing pink in his cheeks as Natsu began to blush. The dragon slayer was rubbing the back of his head, looking uncomfortable being here. Lucy's mind flashed back to the way Natsu had touched her cheek before separating in the Bureau, the way he seemed to be so desperate to protect her. She had been meaning to talk to him about that, but the time never seemed right. Everything had been too hectic at the guild, with the new members and all of the insanity of the older members taking so many jobs. Now, she was getting her answer it seemed. Natsu was jealous of Jack….it was why he was so upset with him when they first met.

Staring over at her partner, Lucy gave him a small smile, her own cheeks turning pink as she replied. "No…I think I have someone else in mind that I want to date." she told Natsu, who immediately sat up straighter, looking angry and upset. Lucy could already see what was going to happen, she just had to tease him for a bit longer.

"What? Who is it? Don't tell me it's Gray, that guy's a pervert and Juvia would kill you!" Natsu insisted, while Lucy laughed at the idea. As nice as Gray was, the guy just was too closed off for her to consider as a real partner for her. She preferred someone more open, someone willing to tell her about their secrets, and their past. Natsu had done that, revealing about his own family and even his friend Lisana from when they were children.

Staring at Natsu, Lucy sat down next to him, covering his hand with her own. Natsu blinked at her in surprise, not expecting her to do so. "No, I completely agree with you there. The guy I have in mind is a bit more reckless, really I must be crazy for even thinking we'd work out together. He's obnoxious, rude, and destroys everything in sight, but at the same time, I've never had a friend that was as loyal and trustworthy as him. I know he'll always be there to protect me, no matter what the danger is." Lucy said softly, looking over at Natsu and seeing his gaze softening slightly.

"Lucy….you know I'm not really good at this kind of thing. I've never really dated anyone before." Natsu told her, looking a bit worried yet excited at the same time. Lucy smiled up at him, happy to see that she was correct. They could take things slow, growing closer as they continued on their missions with the guild. The one thing Lucy was sure of was that Natsu would always be by her side, no matter what.

"That doesn't matter, Natsu. I love you….I think I have for a while now, I just never really thought you'd feel the same way." Lucy told him, watching his eyes light up, Lucy felt Natsu's arms wrap around her, pulling her close to his chest as they sat together on her bed. Normally, Lucy would complain about how she was nearly naked, but she really didn't want to spoil the moment. Natsu was so warm and right here for her, and now he always would be. She smiled as she leaned into his chest, happier than ever that they had found Jack Frost. Without him, Natsu would never have had anyone to get jealous over, and they never would have reached this point. Lucy closed her eyes, snuggling close to Natsu's chest, thinking about how amazing their future would be. He was her partner, for both jobs and in life, and nothing was going to keep them apart ever again.

 **Thus we've reached the official conclusion to my story! Just a reminder, I will be posting one more chapter describing Pitch's backstory, for those that are interested. It will contain spoilers for the Alvarez Empire Arc of Fairy Tail, unlike the rest of this story thus far. I hope you all enjoyed and thank you to everyone who read this story. Feel free to leave a review and tell me what you think!**


	20. Extra: Pitch's Origin

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of ROTG or Fairy Tail

 **Warning:** This chapter contains major spoilers from the Alvarez Empire Arc (Beyond Tartaros). Read only if you have gotten that far, or do not care about spoilers.

The war was terrible, bringing fear to everyone around the world. In this time, the era where Pitch was growing up, everyone was afraid. Dragons ruled over the world, fighting with humans and amongst themselves to determine just which path they should take. The battles were fierce, and at a young age, Pitch had seen his entire family be destroyed by those very monsters that roamed the skies.

Unlike most children, Pitch did not grieve for his family. No, he had watched in silence, hiding in the corner of his house as the dragons came for his family, killing them with their flames and excessive strength. This was when he first was introduced to the feeling that he would become obsessed with, the single emotion he thought would become his greatest strength. Fear had been his primary focus, and that night taught him something important. Fear was what brought people control over others, it was what led those in fear to freeze and become unable to act. It was the ultimate weapon, the only way to ensure that you could gain power over everyone in the world.

This was what led Pitch down his new path, focusing on studying magic for purposes of filling others with fear. Most mages of this time were focused on finding a method to destroy the dragons that ruled over them, but Pitch was different. He simply wanted to learn dark magic, magic that could bring fear to his enemies. If the dragons took over the world, it was simply how things were meant to be. After all, he had yet to meet anyone else capable of inspiring as much fear as one of those beasts.

When his own shadow magic proved to be weak, far too weak for him to actually do anything promising, Pitch grew frustrated. He found himself wandering, seeking out the power he had heard rumors about lately. Dragon slayers had just begun to become more common, people who utilized magic to take on the qualities of dragons and destroy them. At the same time, they were growing to be feared as well. Pitch was probably about the age of eighteen when he heard of what had happened, to the most powerful dragon slayer the army had in its arsenal. Acnologia had become one of the very creatures they sought to destroy, and now, he seemed inclined to rule over dragons and humans alike. He destroyed people on both sides of the war, creating terror even in beings as powerful as dragons. This was Pitch's new role model, the being he sought to become like.

Still, finding a dragon willing to teach him magic would be a struggle. Few would want a dragon slayer with a mindset like his, so Pitch did his best to learn how to behave properly. He spoke with good manners, and ensured that he was well-educated before beginning his task. Now, deep in the forest, he finally found them. A group of children were playing in the grass, with massive dragons by their sides. One in particular caught his interest, and he stayed back to watch.

"Rogue, it is quite simple. You must become one with the shadows beneath you, to blend in with the darkness around you. With this technique, you can become untouchable to all, and only reveal yourself when it is necessary to attack." a massive black dragon was stating, making Pitch lean forward with interest. Become one with a shadow? That sounded like it could be useful. It would allow him to jump out of the dark, to spook children and adults alike at how he could seem to appear and disappear at will.

He continued watching the child struggle, until finally he achieved what the dragon was asking for. The boy truly did fade into the shadows, and now with an example to follow, Pitch focused on doing the same. Still, even with all of his focus, his magic did not cooperate. All he achieved was seeing the shadows on the ground gather around him, reaching towards his body but never truly absorbing it.

He was so absorbed in trying to master the spell that he had not noticed the person watching him, standing a distance away. "Your technique is quite good, however, you are trying far too hard. Allow your mind to meld with the shadows, become one yourself instead of letting them absorb you." someone stated, calmly sitting off to the side as Pitch turned around, his eyes narrowed at the newcomer.

It was a young boy behind him, probably close to his own age if he had to guess. He wore a dark black robe, with a white sash covering most of his torso. His hair was straight and bangs fell into his eyes, covering what looked like either black or incredibly dark brown eyes. "Just who are you and why are you interfering? This is my business, I suggest you leave me to focus on it." Pitch stated, a little irritated by the boy's presence. Still, he was going to follow his advice. After all, anything could help and since the dragon had stopped his lesson with the children in front of him, he was not hearing anything more to assist him.

"Simply a wandering wizard, though I suppose that isn't quite enough to satisfy anyone's curiosity." the boy replied, looking sad as he gazed over at the group of wizards training in the forest. "I wish things could stay like this for you, Natsu, but all things must come to an end. One day, you will understand." he commented, sounding a bit distant as he focused on the wizards before him.

Pitch was about to ask what he meant with his words when the boy suddenly backed away, clutching his head tightly between his hands. "No….not again…" he whispered, before a blast of dark magic burst from his body. Pitch stared with wide eyes as the entire forest around the boy died, everything from the grass and insects, to the birds flying above him. Pitch had been far enough away to be spared, as had the young dragon slayers and dragons, but it was an impressive sight.

This was the second person to inspire Pitch, to draw him deeper into his interest in fear. Nothing could cause fear quite like the fear of death, or so he thought. "Impressive. If you'd like to show me that trick of yours, then I might be interested in speaking with you more." Pitch had stated, watching as the boy stared at him with a frown.

"More death and destruction….even in a time of war, few wish for such a thing. In the end, it all just leads to more pointless suffering." he stated, focusing his gaze on Pitch for a few moments. "You seem to be a talented mage, however, I do not enjoy causing the deaths of others, nor is it something I can teach you. This spell that you view as a gift is more accurately described as a curse. My only wish now is for an end to my own life….an end to my suffering." he stated, staring over at the children. "That day will come….the plan is already set in motion." he stated, sounding calm and satisfied.

Pitch stared at the dragon slayers, already understanding what he meant by those words. "Dragon slayers? You truly think their magic stands a chance against a spell such as that? Even they will fall, eventually learning to fear you and the death you bring to the world." Pitch stated confidently, while the other teen glanced over at him thoughtfully.

"Correct, they are meant for another problem. Acnologia has quite bothersome, in order to secure my own path to rest, I had to come up with a plan for the black dragon's destruction." the strange man stated, sounding unconcerned with the fate of the beast. "Natsu is the only one capable of stopping me….once Acnologia is dealt with, he will come for me." he insisted.

Pitch did not understand this boy's obsession with this Natsu child, nor did he intend to learn of it. Facts such as that bored him, however, knowing that this boy here, barely older than himself, had a plan to defeat a fearsome beast was intriguing. "Destroy Acnologia? Just how do you plan to do that? Surely, there are simpler ways with such fearsome powers as your own." he had argued.

The boy gazed over at him, smiling slightly as he did so. "That is the dilemma I face. In order to destroy life, I must care for it first. The more I value someone's life, the more I am forced to take it away, that is the very contradiction that has become my life. Total control could come, if I forgot why life was important, however, even then it would not protect anyone from my own actions." he said bitterly. "Even if I myself wish to die, I am unable to do so. I have become immortal, immune to the ravages of time and unable to be destroyed by any wound a mortal could make." he stated.

Pitch saw his chance, the way to finally learn from this boy. He was desperate for something, and when people grew desperate, they were willing to take a miracle. "Oh? I believe I could manage to create something that could destroy you. You see, I've been doing quite a bit of research into magic, and I believe we aren't reaching our fullest potential. With time, I could unlock gifts this world has never seen, and bring about a new age of wizards with the strength necessary to destroy you. All I ask in return, is that you train me. Teach me how to utilize dark magic and inspire fear in any who face me, that has been my dream for many years now."

The boy narrowed his eyes at Pitch, looking thoughtful as he stood up, shaking his head and sighing. "Very well, I suppose a back-up plan will not hurt. After all, part of me still wishes to be the one to destroy Natsu." he stated, his eyes flashing for a moment. "You claimed to need time as well, did you not? I believe I have a solution to that issue is well. Meet me here tomorrow night again, we have much to discuss." the wizard stated, walking off without another word.

Eager to learn more, Pitch did not even bother going home that night. He slept out under the stars, hearing the children come back to play with dragons. He began to learn their names as he watched them throughout the day, irritated that they all had such bright lives. Something was simply missing from them, without that drop of fear Pitch had learned was vital so long ago. Wendy was the shy little girl among them all, always seen with the white dragon or the pink-haired boy. Natsu was that boy, always protective of Wendy and willing to take on anyone else he saw in a fight. This was the child that was supposedly capable of destroying that wizard from before, but Pitch still doubted it. He seemed too careless to make any use out of his life, unable to see the darkness that existed around him.

Rogue seemed to be the better option to Pitch, the shadow dragon slayer that loved spending time with his complete opposite, Sting the white dragon slayer. The pair did seem quite compatible and when fighting together, they were strong for their age. Not even Gajeel, the iron dragon slayer, seemed capable of standing up to their team without backup. That was typically when Natsu would come in, laughing as he turned even on his teammate and tried to take them all on by himself.

It was foolishness, but there was a joy to them that had always been absent from Pitch. He never had a real childhood, not when he had to raise himself to be strong during this time of war. "I see you are still here. I expected as much, perhaps we will see if you truly are willing to sacrifice everything to learn from me. Yesterday, you asked for my name, and I refused. Today, I am feeling a bit differently." the boy stated, approaching from behind as Pitch continued staring after the children in front of him. The sun had begun to set, and they were far enough away to talk without being heard.

"My name is Zeref Dragneel, the black wizard." he stated calmly, tilting his head in amusement as Pitch's eyes widened. Everyone had heard of that wizard, of the person who had created monsters in the world that destroyed everything around them. "You still do not run? You are rather intriguing to me, I must admit. I have never met someone who values fear quite like you, who embraces it instead of avoiding it. This is why I see potential in you, because your heart is almost as pitch black as my own." he argued.

This was where Pitch had stopped for a moment, staring at the other boy with wide eyes still. He rather liked that description of himself…being pitch black had its advantages. Until that point, he had never been given an actual name, nor did he care to be called by anything. His parents had named him, of course, but Pitch had hated the name with a passion, refusing to respond to it regardless of who spoke it. He would not share it with anyone, either, leaving his existence a mystery to everyone around him. Thus, he was simply an unnamed child, a boy with a face that was always watching from the shadows of his town. Now, Pitch Black seemed like a suitable name, and unbeknownst to the wizard before him, it was adapted as his new name at that very moment.

"Perhaps it is even darker….even I, with all the death that I witness, still value life in some form. You simply seem to wish to use it to your advantage, something I've realized since the moment I first saw you. Few are willing to spy on a dragon, and even fewer manage to succeed. If you are capable of that, perhaps you will surprise me one day, and actually bring me someone capable of finally giving me the peace I so desire." Zeref stated, standing up tall as he gazed out towards the dragon slayers.

"Just what is it you plan on using me for? I already agreed to find a wizard capable of ending you, what more do you want?" Pitch demanded, seeing that there was more to this agreement than he had first realized. Zeref smiled slightly, his gaze growing distant as he stared out towards the dragons.

"You will be the final piece I've been searching for. You see, my plan is long term in nature. Currently, it would be unwise to let myself be destroyed. After all, I am the only one powerful enough to keep Acnologia at bay for the time being." he began, still gazing thoughtfully over towards the others. "The dragons could have done so, but years of war have left them weak, their numbers low. What you see before you is the last of their kind, at least, the last of those born in this form."

Pitch stared with wide eyes, unaware that things had gone so badly for the creatures. They had always seemed strong to him, capable of inspiring fear in a way that humans could never achieve. They did not have the size or strength necessary to bring about that type of reaction in others. "There will come a time when Acnologia is weak, however, even I do not know when this will occur. It could be days from now, it could be years, but regardless, they need to be present to defeat him. So long as I can delay his desire for destruction, the dragon slayers will ultimately be the ones to slay Acnologia, though they will not be alone. They will do so with dragons by their sides, but this is where it gets far more complex than it appears." Zeref stated, turning towards Pitch with a slight smile on his face.

"Dragons are not immortal, much like humans, they age and die over time. If the dragon slayers are being sent into the future, to a time when Acnologia can truly be defeated, then the dragons must follow. The Eclipse Gate is powerful, but even I know that it will be nearly impossible for them to escape entirely unscathed. That magic power will draw Acnologia directly to us, and should the dragons be destroyed, I know the children will lose all hope for their future, ruining my plan." he stated, his gaze not wavering in the slightest.

"Just how do I help with this? I'm sorry, but I am not quite the right person for what you seek. I do not utilize time magic in any form, nor do I understand all of its nuances from my studies." Pitch argued, while Zeref shook his head, glancing over at the dragon slayers again. Wendy was resting now, leaning against the massive white dragon as the other children began to tire out as well.

"I shall teach you, though not quite in the manner you originally intended. Should the dragons perish in this war, you will be responsible for a binding spell, one that I have worked on over the years to create. In essence, it will bind the bodies of the dragons to those of the dragon slayers, allowing their spirits to remain alive. It could potentially even give them one last chance to fight against Acnologia in physical form, though they will lose much of their former strength and in the end, perish from the wounds they suffered here." Zeref explained.

Pitch could hardly begin to comprehend just how complex such a spell would be, nor did he even bother asking at this point. He had asked for this training, and even if it wasn't the exact style of magic he had wanted, it still would give him strength. He would have a way of understanding people's souls after this, something that should be necessary for a strong binding spell such as this. That element alone could be used to his advantage, to tell him all of the fears his opponents possessed before he made even a single attack against them.

Training started immediately after that, with Zeref focused intently on ensuring that Pitch understood the basics before delving deep into the art of his black magic. Not much was spoken of the death magic he wielded, but he did focus on strengthening his ability to sense within the souls of others, to reach out like a shadow and peer into their hearts. Once this art was mastered, he moved on to showing him various forms of takeover spells. "In essence, binding them is very similar to the art of taking the body of another. You must learn the shape and soul of the being you wish to become, then allow that form to take over your body, but remain under your own control. With the dragons, it will be a similar concept, imbuing their souls into the body of another. Your task is to combine what you learn here with what I have taught you before, understanding how to merge their bodies, but keep both souls separate and intact." Zeref had explained, before delving deeply into the subject.

Pitch disliked this style of magic, having little talent for it as a result. Even so, he understood the concept well and performed to Zeref's expectations. Before long, the day had come for the dragon slayer's to depart for the future. "One last thing, Pitch." Zeref stated, having learned of the name he had given himself during their lessons. "You will be going with them on this journey. I have no need to perish while I have plans to keep in action. My time will be spent growing my empire, and isolating myself from this world, when I am not keeping the black dragon at bay. Once you arrive in the future, you are free to start with your task, though do not feel disappointed when you fail. Many have tried to destroy me, none have yet to succeed." he stated, tilting his head to the side.

Pitch wanted to argue against it, but something about the look in Zeref's eyes made him stop. The boy, however young and innocent he seemed at times, was dangerous to be around. Staring into his black eyes, Pitch could feel his former fear return, remembering that he could be killed at any moment by Zeref, and no one would even care. No one would remember him, no one would ever fear him. That was not the dream he held in his heart, so he simply nodded, agreeing to the plan. After all, even in the future, people would exist to terrorize. He could be feared there, just as he had planned on being feared here.

This was how he came to find himself standing at the edge of the Eclipse Gate, where the children lay sleeping at the base. "Step back, he is here." the large red dragon ordered, the one that seemed to lead them all. They did as asked, standing aside as Zeref smiled, his gaze focused on last time on Natsu.

"Brother…please, find me soon. I will be waiting for the day you come for me." he stated, kneeling by Natsu's side before swiftly standing, walking away from the child. The fire dragon watched him carefully the entire time, not looking pleased with his actions but also not quite ready to interfere. "It is time. Acnologia will arrive soon, be prepared. I must focus on activating the gate. Anna, the keys, if you don't mind." he stated, turning to a girl that was a stranger to Pitch. She had long blond hair, and deep brown eyes that seemed intent as she stepped forward.

"I am only here to relieve this world of Acnologia, nothing more. You are not my ally, black wizard, and I know we cannot trust you." she stated, standing tall as she clutched a group of golden keys in her hands.

"I am well aware of your feelings, so long as you do as asked, Acnologia will fall. Trust in the dragon slayers, and have hope for the future." Zeref stated, sounding far brighter than Pitch had ever heard him. Perhaps it was simply a tool to cheer up the girl, since his face turned dark just after his own words. A better explanation would perhaps be his own hope, the hope that he would finally face his death soon. That was what Pitch decided on as the reason behind his actions, though no one but the black wizard himself understood why he had chosen to be so kind to Anna.

Anna nodded in response, slowly allowing Zeref to take thirteen golden keys from her grip, inserting them into the gate above him. His eyes closed and Pitch suddenly felt a massive increase in magic power in the air. He was beginning to activate the gate, to use it to send them all to the future. "Remember your promise, Pitch Black. Show me all of these new ways magic can be developed, I am looking forward to your progress." Zeref stated, turning towards Pitch as the doors flew open.

Just as they did so, a massive roar was heard overhead. The dragon had found them, just as Zeref had predicted. Pitch turned to see what was going on, only to discover how swift the beast truly was. The black dragon had already torn through the field they were in, his massive claws tearing into the bodies of Weisslogia and Skiadrum as he passed them. Both dragons roared in pain, moving to try and strike back.

Acnologia dodged, flying higher into the air as the white and black dragon fell, weakened by their wounds. Their chests had been sliced open, blood pouring out. At this rate, both of them would be destroyed. Pitch prepared himself, glancing at Zeref who gave him a slight nod. That was his cue to act, his own power rising as he focused on creating the magic circle necessary for the binding spell. It appeared on the ground, surrounding the sleeping children who were still protected, sitting at the base of the Eclipse Gate.

Acnologia found himself on the receiving end of the next blow, feeling Igneel collide with the beast. Their bodies seemed to clash in the sky, neither one giving out as Igneel forced Acnologia to the ground, standing triumphant for one brief moment. That was before the black dragon lashed out, his tail swinging towards Igneel's back leg. The sharp end of Acnologia's tale managed to pierce through Igneel's muscle, weakening him enough for Acnologia to gain the advantage and throw the fire dragon aside. Pitch stared in shock as Metallicana stood next to fight, but he was already seeing the pattern. This beast had once trained to destroy dragons, he knew all of their weaknesses and strengths. None of them stood a chance, regardless of how hard they fought.

With his own circle complete, Pitch glanced back at Zeref one last time. The black wizard seemed to be resting, his eyes shut as he sat on the ground, leaning back slowly. He didn't have a care in the world, though it was not too unexpected since the boy could not be killed. As he turned back towards the dragons, however, Pitch's eyes widened at the sight. The black beast was preparing a breath attack, his mouth opened wide and aimed at them all. He had to act quick if he was going to make it out of here alive, let alone save the others.

With the circle complete, he reached out towards their souls, feeling their minds and bodies resist the spell he was attempting to enact. Zeref had explained that this was a good sign, a sign that things were progressing as they should. Bodies did not willingly merge with one another, especially when they were as different as a human and a dragon. Luckily, dragon slayers already possessed certain aspects of a dragon, making a spell like this possible between them. Otherwise, only a true master of beast takeover magic could even attempt a spell such as this, and it would only function if bound to themselves.

Pitch pressed on against their resistance, pouring more of his magic into the spell. He never realized it would take quite so much to achieve what he was aiming for, yet it still was succeeding. Already, he could see the bodies of the dragons fading from sight, a slight glow emanating from the dragon slayers. In unison, the light around all of them seemed to be pulsing, harmonizing with each other until their souls merged within one body, both of them existing, with only the dragon slayers in control of the actual body. Exhausted, Pitch felt himself sway slightly on his feet, only to see Zeref now rising, stepping forward towards Acnologia.

"Thank you for your work, perhaps in another life, we could have been friends, Pitch Black. Go, take the dragon slayers with you, and bring peace to me in the future. I have high hopes for you all, do not let me down." he stated, standing before the black dragon who finally unleashed his massive breath attack. With no time to stay and watch, Pitch began throwing the children through the gate, not caring who went first or how, just that they managed to pass through. Behind him, he could feel Zeref's black magic unleashing itself against Acnologia, an immense and powerful battle about to begin. No one would want to be around for such a war, not when it would destroy the entire world.

The blast itself, even when partially blocked by Zeref's own blast of dark magic, was enough to throw Pitch through the air, sending him flying through the gate. When he passed through, his mind was in a haze, lost for a few moments. He could sense the minds of the dragons slayers, just as confused as his own as they traveled to their destination. All of them quickly forgot this interaction after arriving in the year 777, scattered in various places throughout all of Fiore.

Pitch stood in the exact place he had left from, a massive building before him now in place of the trees that seemed to have been cleared away. It was labeled as the Bureau of Magical Development, a name that made Pitch think back to Zeref's words. As he turned his gaze into the sky, he began to formulate an idea of just what to do now. After all, he had made a promise to Zeref, so why not do it while completing his own goals? He would take control of this organization,and make it his own empire to rule over with fear in everyone's hearts. Using that, he would create the magical power necessary to destroy Zeref once and for all, and bring about his own reign of terror over this world. With a smile on his face, Pitch Black began walking towards that future, knowing that it would be a a task only he could accomplish. After all, who else understood just how to bring about fear like he did? Zeref himself would learn to fear him, just like the rest of the world. In the end, the Bureau of Magical Development would be a place of torture and fear, a place where nightmares would reside and where children never grew to understand hope and wonder, just fear like he had when he was a child.

 **Here marks the final end of my ideas for this story (at the moment. someone is already asking about a sequel, so I may try and come up with something. Suggestions may help, if anyone else is interested). I hope you all enjoyed, thank you all for your support and feedback! If you still want to read more stories of mine, I have started another story about Fairy Tail, titled Dragons, Fairies, and Dark Curses. I have a few other works in progress for Fairy Tail (most of them without an idea for endings, I am not the greatest at planning out a conclusion to my stories), so I may hear from you all sometime again in the future. Feel free to review and let me know what you think of my story!**


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